Awake
by Fae 206
Summary: Six years ago Kyoko Hizuri was said to have drowned when filming a horror masterpiece leaving her husband, Kuon, and their daughter to try to build a new life for themselves. When Kyoko's body is found frozen and she is brought back to life, can she fit in with the life her family has built without her. Can Kuon help her find her footing again? Lots of Love.
1. Chapter 1 - Ice Cold

**AN:** I know I have a lot of fanfics and I'm going to be picking them up again but maybe concentrating on six big Skip Beat ones at a time. I just wanted to say that I really am thankful to everybody who supported my work last year and I hope you continue to enjoy it in 2018 as well. I really love the partner story 'Alive' and whereas there are some major differences with this one, it's just the reverse situation. Hope you enjoy 😊

 **Awake**

 **Chapter One – Ice Cold**

Kuon sighed as he stood at the top of the hill at Sequoia National Park. The thirty-two-year-old looked around at the area of America that he had used as a place to meditate and try to balance his thoughts. It was the best that he could do without her there. Kuon had spent years attempting to tell himself that he wasn't responsible for the accident surrounding Kyoko's death. He had tried to remind himself that he had to keep going for their daughter. Still, it didn't feel as if he could ever move on and he never wanted to.

When they were young and when Isabella was less than a year old, Kyoko had been asked if she wanted to perform the lead role in a horror movie. There was a good part and a bad part to this. The good part was that Kyoko was given the role of a rich young lady who looked and acted like a princess, the bad part was that it was, albeit a well-produced and well-directed, horror movie.

Kuon had thought that that would be the hardest thing, moving out of the territory of a Mio appearance once again. Kyoko had done so amazingly that Kuon was sure she could conquer this…until the phone call came.

 _Hizuri-san, this is Director Date. We need you to come down to the Kyoto District police station as soon as possible. Kuon, I'm not supposed to say this but since we've been friends then, you need to hear the truth, there's been a tragedy involving Kyoko._

Kuon stiffened as he thought about that and about how he figuratively had cut himself off at that point and was only brought back when Isabella started screaming for someone. That was how he knew he needed to be stronger and he needed to put his daughter at the front of his mind. She was relying on him. He would never be able to provide the mother that she needed but he was _their_ child. He needed to make sure she had all that she needed no matter how much it hurt.

His wife was only twenty-two at the time that she had drowned in a wood in Kyoto whilst filming a horror movie and they hadn't even found her body. It sounded like a joke or some bad plot. The last six years definitely weren't a comedy movie.

At first Kuon had decided that he would stay in Japan because that was where he and Kyoko had planned on raising Isabella. Many people had told him to go where he felt he could raise her best, had told him that he needed somewhere he felt at home so that he could pass on those feelings to Isabella. It had been the president who had insisted that he go to America and start working on his acting career there, he had already done a handful of foreign projects but it wasn't the acting that was the president's reason for telling him to go.

It had been hard for Kuon to move back home with his daughter at first, after all he could have definitely afforded a nice house but it had been helpful and brought their family closer together. It had taken the strength of all three Hizuris to give this girl the best life possible, a life without her mother.

"Daddy!" Isabella giggled as she pounced at him and Kuon turned to scoop her up.

"Hi there, my little princess," he smiled as he hugged her and then crouched down in front of her. "I thought you were going to stay with grandma, I didn't think that -"

"Really, Kuon?" Julie asked as she raised an eyebrow and looked at her son, "Do you really think that I'm too old to go on a hike. I bet you don't even remember when we camped together when you were a kid and this was all because your father wanted to do it."

"That was years ago, Mom," Kuon smiled faintly, "I mean maybe I'm the one who is getting too ol-"

"You're definitely getting something," Julie laughed before walking over to him and smoothing down his hair. She smiled softly, "I'm so proud of you, Kuon, and the impact in Japan about you winning the Oscar and the fact that you spoke so highly about -"

"She should be the ones getting awards," Kuon replied back hating that he had managed to take his career to that of an A-list celebrity when Kyoko had passed away without true recognition of her talents and all of her hard work.

"Kuon, you didn't kill her," Julie sighed as she looked to her son's hand where he still wore his ring. Julie hadn't known Kyoko for that long, yes she had met her and she liked her but their lives were separated. She had felt sad about the loss of her magic but seeing how devastated her son was and how much he had been hurt and how he had seemed to have more love than the majority of men for his wife was heartbreaking to her.

"We should be getting out of here," he said as he turned his back to Isabella, "Want to hop on?" he asked her as she threw her arms around her dad's shoulders and Kuon steadied himself to keep her safe. "Okay, hold on tight."

"I will, Daddy," Isabella said before letting her head rest on Kuon's back pack.

Once Isabella had fallen asleep, Julie looked towards her son and saw that he had emotionally retreated again despite promising his therapist that he wouldn't do that. Julie wondered if Kyoko would be out here on these hikes with him, she wondered if Kyoko would be able to stay in a tent with him and enjoy the wilderness. She hoped so, Kyoko seemed to be the type of girl who was magical and whose magic touched everyone around them. She was such an amazing person and it had been hard on her to accept that someone she considered family had died that way. Her goal though was to pull Kuon out of the darkness.

As the two walked along, Julie heard Kuon's cellphone buzz in his pocket and looked at him.

"Do you want me to answer it?" she asked since Kuon's hands were full taking care of the sleeping little girl on his back.

"Sure," he shrugged and Julie took the phone out from his jacket pocket and her eyes widened. She turned pale and her hand started shaking. "Mom?" Kuon asked as he looked at her, "What is it?" he asked worried when she didn't respond, "Dad, please don't tell me that anything happened to Dad."

"They found Kyoko," Julie said as she looked at the picture and text message that were sent to her son. Kuon froze when she said that but then looked down as a darkened shadow flickered over his face. He was about to speak but Julie cut him off knowing what he was thinking. "They are saying that she's alive," she told him and Kuon stared at her without even being able to move.

"Huh?" he asked as he continued to watch her.

Julie put the phone in her pocket before taking Isabella into her arms and then handed the stunned Kuon his phone back. Kuon looked through the texts before his heart seemed to shatter and he put a hand over his mouth. He didn't know what he was looking at but everything about the article and the picture seemed to point to one thing.

This was the frozen body of his wife at the age of her announced death.

…

…

Kuon looked at Lory as the two of them sat together at the cryogenics lab. Apparently, this wasn't the first person who had been frozen and brought back to life. However, that person had been a CEO of a company with multiple high-ranking members and the firm had been told he had been in retirement. This was much more public.

"Thank you," Kuon said to the older president, "for bringing me here with the most discretion possible."

"I should be the one thanking you," Lory said as Kuon looked at him confused, "Do you know how much more entertaining it's going to be for me when you and Kyoko meet each other again compared to how most of my games do it."

"I'm sure that most of your games don't like to talk about the possible health complications that would be involved with bringing somebody back to life. I mean, I don't want her to hurt. I'd rather her be in peace than be in continual pain," Kuon said as he looked down sadly. He didn't know how she had been preserved and he knew that with the description of glowing light around her, his wife would probably jump at the idea that it was the fairies keeping her alive but it wasn't done in the most logical and ideal fashion.

They had no idea with what they were working with here.

"I bet you're trying to stop yourself from being scared about this age difference," Lory said and Kuon laughed.

"Would you care to explain those thoughts to me?" Kuon smiled before looking down at the ground. "Are you trying to say that Kyoko will see me, not want to be with a man who is now ten years older than her and will leave?" Kuon laughed weakly, "If you actually think that the worst thing in my mind is being dumped then you're misjudging my maturity."

"It's still in there though," Lory teased him.

Kuon frowned but took another deep breath in, "Let's just say that as long as she's healthy and happy, I don't need anything else but that. Even if she wanted to pursue someone else, anyone else, as long as she's happy and healthy then that's okay."

Lory rolled his eyes, "Well, that's no fun. You always have to be practical about things and at least now you've stopped blaming Ren Tsuruga for having those traits. "This is the woman who you've been faithful to, the woman that taught you how to love, the woman that you have a kid with and you're acting as if you don't want anything from her."

"I want her to be happy and healthy," Kuon repeated, "whether I'm part of that new life for her isn't up to me."

Lory opened his mouth to say something but heard a knock on the door and looked up to see one of the doctors enter followed by a young woman with a few towels and blankets around her. Kuon stood as he saw that the woman was trying to get herself warm and he did have to admit it was rather chilly in here.

Kuon's heart caught in his throat as he felt like a little boy again. He had to keep pushing those thoughts down. It wasn't her. It couldn't be her.

As the woman lowered the towel and wrapped her arms around herself, Kuon's eyes widened and he felt as if it was only the two of them in the room. He didn't know what to say. He took in her black hair and her amber eyes. He took in how gorgeous she was but also her fear of what was going on. He opened his mouth to speak before seeing her break down crying.

He closed his eyes. It was alright if she wanted to call him old or that the age difference was bothering her. It was okay to note that he looked more exhausted and that the youth was going from him. It was okay.

"Corn?" Kyoko whispered as she put a hand over her mouth, taking in all the changes. "Kuon," she whispered as more tears came into her eyes. "Kuon," she shivered again and Kuon walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's me, princess," he told her and she shivered before grabbing onto his shirt and placing her head on his chest.

It was in that moment that Kuon Hizuri realized just how badly he had needed to hold his wife.

 **End of Chapter One**

 **Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading**


	2. Chapter 2 - Ten Years

**AN:** In typical Fay fashion, I get really excited about writing a new fic so here's chapter two in less than 24 hours 😊 Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter Two – Ten Years**

Kyoko nervously looked across at her older ex-husband? Were they legally separated now? Did he have somebody else who was lucky enough to call herself his wife? She looked down as she turned those thoughts over in her head. She wouldn't blame him. Six years was a long time for someone with a personality and appearance like Kuon had to not have one of the girls flocking over you break through. She just hoped that Kuon would let her see Isabella.

Kuon watched her as well. They were sitting in a cool room so as to make sure Kyoko didn't go from freezing to hot too easily. It was March so it wasn't the hottest but Kuon wanted to take every precaution available to them.

The silence was almost suffocating and Kuon looked across at the woman he loves with such a radiant smile before he looked down unsure of whether or not to start the conversation.

"How is -" Kyoko began but Kuon quickly cut her off.

"—she's good. She's really intelligent and as beautiful as you are. She re—" he said before Kyoko finished her thought.

"-your wife?" Kyoko looked down as she thought about his answer, so she was someone who had a lot of potential. Of course Kuon would pick someone like that. He deserved someone like that and she felt guilty about how much pain he must have gone through.

"I don't know," Kuon replied, "I don't even know if she's still my wife. Are you?" he asked as he looked up at her hopefully and Kyoko looked down.

"I wouldn't know how your wife is," she replied as Kuon stared at her blankly, "I'm sorry. I don't even know who she is so I'm not sure if she lef-"

Kuon reached out for her hand as he sat across from her. "Kyoko Hizuri, that's the name of the woman I'm married to but I'm not even sure if she is still my wife," he said as Kyoko blushed and looked at him. She felt tears in her eyes before watching him as he showed her that he was still wearing his wedding ring.

"She'd very much like to be your wife," Kyoko said as she looked at him apologetically and saw him smile again. She looked at him as she studied the many ways he was the same compared to the ways he had changed by getting older. She was still stunned by the revelation that she had been frozen for six years. She had been gone from the world only to enter it six years later.

Kyoko watched as Kuon took a few exhales to relax himself, "Who were you talking about before?" she asked and Kuon sighed.

"Isabella, she's always wanted to meet you," he told her as Kyoko smiled hearing that. "I've told her stories about you, she knows who you are but -"

"That's understandable," Kyoko nodded before thinking about what he had just said. "Thank you, for letting her know me through your stories. I was scared that some other woman had been raising her," she admitted. Did that sound heartless?

"Only Julie HIzuri," Kuon said. "We moved to California after we thought you were dead and my parents have been really helping me out. It feels like the three of us raised her together but that's okay, right? My parents have -"

"Your parents are two of the most wonderful people I've ever known, of course that's okay," Kyoko said as she felt tears in her eyes. She knew that Julie would make all the right decisions in how to set an example for her daughter whilst also accepting her. Kuu would have given her a lot of fun, making sure that she was happy and listening to any problems she might have. She would have also had an amazing father who hopefully wasn't too distant with her when the negative emotions arose.

Kuon smiled but reached out his hand for hers, "So, do you feel alright? I'm not sure what to really say but let's start with how you feel. Are you too hot? Too cold? Do you have any pain anywhere?" he asked and Kyoko looked back at him. Those were the types of questions that _she_ wanted to ask him.

"I'm fine," Kyoko whispered before smiling as she saw him give a puppy dog look and nodded, "I feel a little cold and my chest hurts," she saw his eyes widen and his body stiffen as she said that, he always worried so much about her, "I'm fine," she tried to tell him, gesturing with her hand for him not to react to it. "I'll keep you posted on if there's anything wrong," she saw him soften and relax a little with that knowledge.

Kyoko looked at him with her eyes taking in all those small changes that age brought, "How about you, Kuon? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he sighed with an exhausted smile, "I'm…I'm really happy to be sitting with you in here. I'm…I can't even explain to you how happy I am that you're back and how unreal it seems. If there's anything that you need then please let me know. I can take care of you."

"You've always taken care of me," Kyoko smiled, "Even when you were Ren."

"It's been a long time since I was Ren, a decade or close," Kuon said as he looked away. He had stopped being Ren Tsuruga to the public eye shortly after he had turned twenty-three and shortly after he had been given a yes to his marriage proposal.

"Am I too -"

"Hopefully you don't find -"

The two of them paused as they realized that they had spoken over one another, Kuon looked down before letting his thumb run over his wife's hand. "You go first," he said as Kyoko looked at him.

"Am I too young for you?" she asked.

Kuon looked at her in shock at that question. How could she be afraid of something like that? He had to admit though that he was concerned that he was too old for her. He blinked back, unable to speak. He watched her as she gazed at him with the same intense interest as she had many times over their lives together.

"No," he finally smiled, "You are _my_ Kyoko. There wouldn't be anything to keep me from loving you."

"Even if I turned into a beast from a fairytale?" Kyoko tested him and Kuon laughed weakly.

"Even then. If that happened then I would try to hide you away from everyone until I found a cure. I wouldn't let a single person hurt you. I'd guard you with my life and try every day to find a way to bring you back. If there wasn't a cure then I'd build somewhere where nobody would ever be able to lay a finger on you and I'd learn what you needed and take care of you for the rest of my life," Kuon smiled as he thought about that. He knew how much Kyoko liked fairytales despite the way he had thought before that day that things within them weren't possible.

Kyoko stood up and wrapped her arms around him whilst sitting on his lap like she used to do. "Then why are you worried?" she asked as she threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed his slightly rough cheek since he was trying to grow a beard for his new superhero role.

"I'm ten years older than you," Kuon said as he showed his worry to her, "I'm in my thirties. Does that matter to you?" he asked and Kyoko laughed.

"Not at all," she told him before kissing him again. She lay her head down on his shoulder, "My gorgeous and talented husband that I'm so lucky to be with," she felt him kiss her on the forehead and pull her in close. "Why do you think age differences mean so much when I love you." She smiled before pressing her lips to his neck, "Are you saying that I'm not allowed to tease you about your age," she grinned, "because those puppy dog eyes you just gave me prove that you're not too old to be a little playfully immature."

Kuon smiled as he wrapped his arms around her again. "Well, this old dog still has some new tricks to him," he teased her and Kyoko rolled her eyes.

"Please, Kuon, I doubt you've even had your mid-life crisis," she teased him. She wanted to tell him how happy she was that he hadn't found somebody else and that she could still be with him. She wanted to say how relieved she was to have her husband again. She wanted to prove to him that she wanted to be in his arms but as he looked into her eyes, she understood that he already knew.

…

…

Kyoko was looking around the hotel room that Lory had managed to book for the two of them in Shibuya. They would be spending at least a week in Japan getting everything sorted before flying back to America. Kuon had already told her numerous times that if she felt uncomfortable, they could move back but Kyoko just wanted to fit in with her husband's life.

She had taken a shower and was ready to get changed into one of the outfits that the president had prepared for her. Kuon had promised her that they'd go shopping for clothes and necessities the next day but the doctors had said to wait since the excitement might hurt the first day recovery.

Kyoko opened the door to find Kuon sitting with his cell phone to his ear whilst looking out the window.

"Yes, it's still gorgeous here. I think you're really going to enjoy it, princess, I'll have to find lots of fun things for us to do but promise to practice your Japanese for me?" he laughed and Kyoko froze. She looked down. He had said that she was still his wife but she hadn't asked him about other women. She stood there watching him as he talked to whoever it was on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I'm meeting someone very important over here, she's a lot like you."

"Well, I do love you, princess. Don't be scared, nobody is going to take away my love for you."

"Maybe you could write down all the fun things that you did before I get back home and then we can talk about them. I have some ideas for you too and I'm going to need you to help me, princess,"

Kyoko shivered a little as she listened to this phone conversation. Was he talking to his girlfriend? He was calling her his princess, did that mean she had been replaced? It didn't surprise her. Kuon had always been a bit of a ladies man and she had once been lucky enough to be the woman he loved. She sighed as she sat on the bed and let her head rest on her knees.

"Yes, I love you too, be a good girl for me, okay?" he asked as he reached out once again for Kyoko's hand. "Daddy loves you so much, he'll be home soon, so you be good for Grandpa" he continued before ending the call and smiled to Kyoko. He looked confused over how concerned she appeared.

"That was Isabella?" she asked before she looked at the clock. It was only two for them in Japan which meant that it was about nine at night in Los Angeles. Maybe that was a little late for a six year old but it was in Kuon's natural style to call her before she went to sleep.

"Yes, she gets worried sometimes when I'm working late, I try to call her to make sure that she's feeling okay," Kuon replied before putting the phone down. He walked over to Kyoko and touched her cheek, masking the longing to touch her by putting a strand of her wet hair behind her ear. "How are _you_ doing?" he asked as he maintained eye contact with her.

He seemed so serious and concerned about her. She wished she could just tell him that she was feeling okay.

"I…I was worried that -"

"Nobody will ever take your place, princess," he told her as he cupped both of her cheeks and guided her up for a passionate kiss. "I'm here," he said as she curled into his chest. "So, did you want to talk about anything or just sit here?"

"Can we put the TV on?" Kyoko said and Kuon looked at her hesitantly. He didn't want to forbid her to do anything but the doctors had said that she might be affected if she looked at the news and he didn't want her to get worried about how much she'd missed. He closed his eyes and handed her the remote.

"Promise me that if it feels overwhelming, you'll tell me," Kuon said hesitantly before taking his hand off the remote. He saw Kyoko turn the TV on and paused as he saw the article that they were discussing as it said on the bottom of the screen.

 _Academy Award Winner, Hizuri Kuon reunited with frozen wife._

Kyoko's eyes widened as she read that, "You won an Academy Award?" she asked with a smile as tears came to her eyes. Kuon saw the tears and looked down guiltily. He hadn't wanted to tell her, something like that wasn't as important as her coming back to life.

He heard her question again, "You did it, Kuon? You won a -"

"What I've won most of all is a chance to live my life with my wife at my side," he said as Kyoko remained shocked and excited. No matter what he wanted to say, that was incredible news for her husband. She just wished that she had been there to see how it happened.

 **End of Chapter Two**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you so much, reviewers Chapter One:**

 _Ashenvale:_ _I really hope you enjoyed all of last chapter and I'm happy to give you something you're excited to read._

 _KrisXD:_ _I'm personally hoping that there are many differences but same basic structure._


	3. Chapter 3 - Is Your Name Still Kuon?

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm so thankful for all of your support, it's definitely helped and inspired me to update faster. 😊

 **Chapter Three – Is Your Name Still Kuon?**

Kyoko looked at her husband as she sat opposite him on the bed with the TV turned off behind her. She took a deep breath in before bringing her knees up and kneeling on them whilst seeing him watch her every movement. "It's all a little hard to take in," she said bluntly, "I just don't think that the two of us are thinking about the same passage of time."

"Well, maybe," Kuon said as he looked down before reaching out for her, "Let's think of it this way. A magical fairy tricked us into believing you were dead for six years so for you time was frozen like your body and -"

" - and my husband is still being distant with me," Kyoko said as she looked down at her hands and sighed. She looked over to his hand and saw that he was still wearing the ring that she had given him, a soft gold with green jade. She hadn't been wearing hers when she had gone to the lake and she didn't know where it was.

"Your husband is trying to figure out unsuccessfully what's going on," Kuon said before taking out a gold bag from his shirt pocket. "I think that you're looking for my good luck charm," he told her and Kyoko blinked at him. What kind of good luck charm did Kuon carry about with him these days?

Kyoko's mouth dropped as he passed it to her and Kyoko opened to see that her beautiful white gold and rose quarts wedding ring was inside. She held it up to the light where the pink stone became a deep red. So he had been carrying it around with him? Tears came to her eyes as she put it on her finger and she threw her arms around him again.

"Thank you," she said as he pulled her closer to him and pressed affectionate kisses to the back of her head.

"Would you like me to call room service so you can have something to eat?" Kuon asked her as he smelled the sweet scent that only his wife had. He didn't want to let her go but part of loving was taking care of someone. He wanted to take care of her.

"I…" Kyoko looked down, "It's still Kuon, right?" she asked and Kuon stared at her as if she had lost it. Without a word, he immediately put his hand to her forehead as if to check for her temperature. He waited whilst trying to steady his own breath and calm down. "No, I mean, I'm not crazy," Kyoko tried to argue as she saw his panic, "You are still using your real name, right? Hizuri Kuon."

"Yeah…" Kuon smiled as he looked to the ground with a relieved smile, "You once told me that you didn't want to be married to Ren Tsuruga and there was only one man that you wanted to be married to," he sighed. He looked at his hand with a weak laugh as he put a hand to his forehead and pushed his fingers through his blond hair. "What am I doing?"

Kyoko giggled as she saw how adorable he still looked when he got nervous and second guessed himself.

"Yes, I haven't changed my name," he told her before looking down, "You made me see that Kuon was a worthwhile person and that I shouldn't give up on embracing all parts of me. You told me once that Kuon was the best part of me and that I had to nourish him, remember?" he asked as he playfully reached out to touch her cheek.

"Okay," Kyoko said as she watched him and saw all the ways he was still scared about doing something wrong. "You know, I always thought that Ren Tsuruga was more mature than me but that you, Kuon, were always on my level," she winked at him. "I don't think you aging six years is going to change my mind on that…even if you are a playboy," she tried to tease him.

"Well, I failed at that then or didn't you know that I'm the head of the Kyoko Hizuri fan club?" he teased her before standing up. "Are you sure that you're not hungry?" he asked and Kyoko sat back. It was so strange for her being here, it was something that one would expect out of a space movie but at least she wasn't separated from the love of her life.

"Tell me, Kuon," Kyoko smiled at him, "How famous are you?"

Kuon sighed and gestured for Kyoko to come over to the window, "Don't get too close and don't stand in the light," he told her as Kyoko reached for his hand and looked out the window to see that a huge mob had gathered with many people having signs like 'I love Tsuruga/Hizuri' 'Way to Go, Kuon!' He sighed as he put a hand on his forehead, "That's why I don't feel comfortable going out right now. This has been the first time since the Oscars that I've been here. I don't want them to eat us alive."

"If I wanted to go out," Kyoko said as she looked at him, testing him, "Would you go out with me?"

"Of course I would go out with you if you wanted to go out but I…that might not be the best idea," he said as Kyoko looked at him with a challenging smile.

"You've never been scared of risks before, Kuon," she said as he sighed and looked out the window.

"Can I pick the place?" he asked her as Kyoko looked out into the crowd again. "And can I employ bodyguards which Boss has waiting downstairs to get us safely through the crowd?" Kyoko looked at him and saw how nervous he was but loved that he was doing this for her. She nodded and saw him get his jacket on again before going into another room to make a reservation for dinner.

…..

…..

Kyoko should have realized how many cameras would take pictures of her and how many people still seemed shocked that she was alive. She could hear the gasps of people as she walked among them as if she had never been gone but they had all thought she had (well except the ones who didn't know who she was.) She looked down as she got into Kuon's rental car, "Should I be sad that my work seems to be forgotten about?" she asked as Kuon managed to close the door and started the ignition.

"It's not forgotten about," Kuon argued, "The media just got a handle on the situation and you did have some fans out there, they need some time to get over it, so are you ready to go?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. "Promise that if there's anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, you'll tell me, right?"

"Anything at all," Kyoko said as she kissed his cheek and heard him switch the car on to go out into the night.

…

…

 _Kuon made sure that he still was carrying Kyoko's ring in his pocket as he came into his Los Angeles mansion. He had been working on a drama in which he was playing a supporting role. There wasn't any award buzz around it since it was an independent film but there were some really great names attached to the piece as well as an award-winning director. Hopefully this would be the exposure that he needed to get to the better jobs._

 _He hated having to come home this late. Although he employed a nanny and his parents were always ready to come and look after Isabella if he needed them to, he missed the stories that he would tell Isabella at the end of the night. That was their bonding time and he didn't think just talking on the phone with the three-year-old had the same effect._

" _Lex," he called out to the nanny he had hired for his daughter, "Lex, are you?"_

 _Alexa was a beautiful woman who was a couple of years older than Kuon, she was the type of woman that men would pull over and honk at and she was incredibly intelligent too. In fact, when she had been at college she had been a sorority leader and on the dean's honor list. Kuon didn't care. All he cared about was that she had great references, a good personality, and could make Isabella feel safe and cared for. Right now she was sitting on the bed in the downstairs guest room wearing something unusual for her that was making his heart break._

" _What….are…you…doing?" he asked as he took her in._

 _Whereas Alexa would usually have her hair long and wavy, hitting around her chest area, she had cut it and styled it to be a more elegant style, it was short with most of it going to the front and the side. She was wearing a fashionable skirt, blouse, and shirt combo which could have been mistaken for a school uniform and she had on a necklace with a too familiar pink teardrop jewel. He looked to the side where she had put the copies of the Box R drama DVDs from his collection._

" _Bella's told me so many stories about princess Natsu and I thought that if I -" Kuon looked at her again before pointing to the necklace._

 _That couldn't be, right?_

" _Did you take that from my room?" he asked, "Lex, I know that I've always made sure that you're treated like a member of the family but you're my employee and if that is what I think it is," Kuon held out his hand whilst his body shook and he tried to hold back his emotion before he hit a breaking point. "Hand it over right now," he said in a no-nonsense voice._

" _Doesn't it look better on me?" Alexa laughed as Kuon tried to control himself._

" _Give me my wife's necklace or I'll have you locked up for theft. You can give it back to me and go quietly or I'll have the authorities step in. Give me back her necklace," Kuon said as he faced the wall but kept his hand open. He couldn't get violent with her, not with a woman but this was too much. Had she really thought that she would turn herself into Kyoko and then be able to run away with him into the sunset?_

" _Fine, Mr. Hizuri," Alexa said as she dropped Princess Rosa into Kuon's hand and walked off, taking a few other accessories off on the way. Kuon's eyes widened and he sank down onto the ground as if about to have a panic attack. He looked at the stone._

" _I'm sorry," he whispered as he tried to maintain his composure, "I am really sorry, princess."_

…

…..

"Kuon?" Kyoko asked as she put her hand on her husband's shoulder, "I'm sorry, are we still going in the right direction?" she asked as she looked around at the residential area. It seemed so familiar but her husband seemed to have been caught up in one of his internal monologues again. She really just wanted to go somewhere with him where they could eat or at least she could eat.

"Y-yeah," Kuon nodded as he smiled to her, "We're really close. I had to ask them if it was okay to use their parking space," he told her and Kyoko blinked confused before sitting back in the seat. Once they had driven down a few more streets, her heart started beating harder and a smile blossomed onto her face.

"Oh my god, is this?" she asked as Kuon parked the car and Kyoko felt her heart melt as she saw Okami-san come out to greet her. This was Darumaya. This was a place that had been her home. She ran into the Okami-san's arms and cried as the woman did the same. Kuon put a hand on his wrist.

At least he had been able to bring her to people who loved her like he did.

 **End of Chapter Three**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers Chapter Four**

Ashenvale: Glad to know that the update made you happy 😊

brennakai: I'm a biased Kuon fan ((gasp) was it not obvious he's my fave) but I think Kyoko will be strong.

Guest: Thank you 😊

Kirara2807: Thank you, I'm glad you like it 😊

KrisXD: Oh I'm sure there are, I mean I have one where Kuon turns into an old man that people don't like 😉

Ktoll9: Thanks, hope I don't disappoint.

Paulagato: Yes, but in this one there is the huge age difference but I think it might be smoother like you said 😉


	4. Chapter 4 - Having a Family Dinner

**AN:** I really hope you enjoy this. I'm going to work on both some other Skip Beat fanfics and other fandom fanfics as well as this one, but I like having something stable and people seem to be enjoying this one.

 **Chapter Four – Having a Family Dinner**

Kyoko smiled as she relaxed in the Okami-san's arms, she smiled to the woman who had took her in as if she was her mother and watched as the older woman squeezed her body to make sure she was there. "I…I'm sorry for my abs-" Kyoko said as she dropped down into a bow and Kuon grinned as he watched the Japanese couple show how happy they were that she was able to come home.

"Nonsense," Okami-san whispered as she put a hand to her mouth and shook her head. "There will be no apologizing," she told her before looking at the man behind her. "That goes for you too, Kuon," she smiled to him as Kyoko looked between them in shock and Kuon looked down with another smile.

"Yes, we've been getting to know each other a little more, they actually contacted me asking if I would be able to come to the restaurant with Isabella so we've been seeing each other about four times a year for six years," Kuon tried to explain.

"Plus all of that time when the two of you came to see us together," Okami said as she gestured for Kyoko to follow her up. Taisho looked at them with a happy smile, his eyes sparkled only slightly as he watched the girl he cared for as a daughter go up to the spare room which had once been her bedroom.

Kuon looked around to notice that various people were getting nosy about what was going on. "How about I stay downstairs and try to attract some of the attention away," he offered and saw Taisho nod to him before looking back at the kitchen. Kuon bowed to him and before getting up spoke, "Sir, you know how much I respect your work here. I also know that you would have put most of it aside to prepare quickly. Please let me finish up the dishes for the evening so that you can enjoy your time with Kyoko," he offered and Taisho sighed.

"You are not to cook anything," he told Kuon who laughed softly.

"My culinary skills aren't as bad as -" he saw Taisho's firm look and smiled, "I promise not to cook anything, sir, I will just put the orders on the plates." He saw Taisho turn it over in his head, "I'll use the pictures," Kuon said as he thought about some pictures that Taisho had shown to Isabella when teaching her a little about cooking and how the dishes should all look the same.

"Then, thank you," Taisho said with a weak smile as he bowed again and Kuon made a second bow before heading into the kitchen.

Kuon really hoped that the people inside were so drunk they would think that he was somebody else. As he pinned his hair back and grabbed an apron, he froze as everyone looked at him wide eyed. Was this a terrible idea?

…..

…..

Kyoko looked after where her husband had gone. She understood that he wanted to be nice and accommodating and that he wanted for Okami-san and Taisho to be able to have time with her now that she was back, but she longed for him. She always could sense when he was sad. Right now it was his happiness that she was back that she felt the most but she wondered if that would change and if he would be left alone in the emotional storm he sometimes felt.

She hoped she could support him.

"So," Okami-san said as she placed a hand on Kyoko's back and then knelt opposite her. "How are you feeling? I expect this is a shock to you. We've really missed you," she said as Taisho gave a firm nod. "Thank you for coming to see us."

"I –" Kyoko said quickly before closing her eyes and bowing again, "I really am -" she froze, they had told her not to apologize but there had been a lot of pain in her heart hearing how sad everyone had been, Kuon especially. "Thank you for your love."

"Dear, you never have to thank us for something like that," Okami said as she continued to smile to the woman in front of you. "Darling, we're just very glad that you're okay."

"It's strange to see someone return from death," Taisho said before bowing his head, "but there is nobody I wished for more."

Kyoko froze at that as a smile appeared over her face and she tried to keep the tears from running down her cheeks. She looked down. "I am always grateful for all that you two have given me. So, you've met Isabella?" she asked and Okami smiled.

"Yes, your husband understood how important it was for us to keep in contact especially after we sent him that note. He makes sure to visit us for at least a day or two each time he takes Isabella to Japan. We are very grateful to him for that," Okami said as Kyoko bowed her head again.

"Kuon has always wanted to make people happy even when he's been suffering himself. I know that he would have come even if you hadn't asked," Kyoko said as she thought about all of her time with her husband including during their childhoods. He had always done whatever he could to make her happy just as he was currently doing. He was giving her uninterrupted time with the people who had taken her In as a teenager.

"He's very emotional, guided by his heart," Taisho said as he uncovered the food that he had been saving for them. "He said you needed to eat."

"We prepared your favorites," Okami smiled, "A full meal but dear, if you don't feel hungry to eat all of it then we understand. You've been through so much and you still need to catch up on everything. Maybe all that we can give to you right now is a warm meal but don't force yourself to eat it all."

Kyoko looked at the food on the table and her heart raced in her chest a little as she smiled more. She just hoped that Kuon wasn't having too hard a time in the restaurant.

"I will switch in a moment," Taisho said as Kyoko nodded. Hopefully Kuon wouldn't have any problems in the kitchen if it was just for a short time.

Kyoko shifted uncomfortably before looking down and starting the meal, however her eyes drifted towards the empty space next to her as she remembered coming here with her family. Once Isabella was born, the five of them would have dinner every week and because Kuon wanted Kyoko to have her hands free, he would hold Isabella on his lap.

Kyoko tried to put on a poker face as she thought about how kind and respectful everyone was to her but she saw Taisho stand up. "No, I -" Kyoko said as she reached out for him. "Please don't leave, it's okay."

Taisho smiled, "That man has struggled. It's time for him to eat," he said before leaving to go and relieve Kuon.

…..

…..

Kuon tried to concentrate on the food in front of him, however it seemed that every woman in the restaurant was trying to claw her way into the kitchen. He went behind the bar and tried to smile as he saw the shock of the patrons.

"You're the real Kuon, right?"

"I loved you so much when you were Ren. Can you be Ren again?"

"I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming."

"You look so adorable with your hair like that, Kuon-sama."

Okay, this was most likely a bad idea. He smiled weakly at the women despite having been used to women acting this way towards him. Thankfully the restaurant was nearly closed but the word had gotten out about him being there and many people were there trying to place last minute orders. At least the attention wasn't being drawn upstairs where Kyoko was.

He tried to ladle the soup for the next customer whilst giving small answers to the customers. He was about to start on the next order when he felt a hand on his back and turned around to see Taisho there. Kuon smiled weakly, "I've been following the pictures to give respect to your food," he tried to explain.

"Very good," Taisho said before gesturing up the stairs, "I'm taking over," he said as Kuon looked at him and saw him pick up a knife. Kuon smiled weakly before seeing in Taisho's eyes that he hadn't done anything wrong or made a mistake but that Taisho really wanted him to spend time with his wife.

"Thank you for relieving me," Kuon said with a bow as he took the apron off and let his hair rest back down. He bowed again before going up the stairs and knocked on the door before opening it. He saw Kyoko's face light up as he entered.

"Hi, my sweet Corn," Kyoko smiled as she rushed to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her face into his chest. She smiled weakly. "Sorry, I didn't like the idea of not eating with you," she whispered.

Kuon looked at her concerned, "Nothing's wrong though?" he asked, "You aren't hurt? You're not feeling overwhelmed?"

Kyoko shook her head as she held to him, "I feel silly being so dependent on you," she said as her hands still clutched his shirt. Kuon smiled and walked over to the table, kneeling down beside her.

"It's not silly," he said, "you can depend on me as much as you need to. I'll always be there to protect you and keep you safe," he kissed the top of her head again and then saw Okami pour him some soup about a quarter of the regular size. "Thank you," Kuon said with a slight bow for respect.

"So, Kuon-kun," Okami said smiled as she put a hand to her own cheek, "You're growing a healthy beard it looks like. May I ask if it's for a role?"

Kuon nodded as Kyoko's eyes started to sparkle in interest, "Yes. I'm playing a man named Oliver Queen in a superhero movie. I have to train my body before the shooting starts but they picked me over some big name actors so I'm very excited."

"Well, you're one of the biggest names to come out of Japan," Okami smiled. "Even though you're only a quarter Japanese, we still consider you our treasure, after all you did get your career's big push here whilst you were Tsuruga Ren."

"I'm honored for that," Kuon smiled.

"I expect that you're going to join Kuon in America, Kyoko," Okami smiled to him and Kyoko sat up with a very straight back as determination coated her expression.

"Of course," she said with a grin, "I want to be with my husband and daughter. I want to support my amazing husband in his career. I love him more than anything," Kyoko said as Okami laughed.

"I know that you do," Okami nodded as Kyoko looked down with a grin. "So, who is Oliver Queen?" Okami asked as she reached out to hold Kyoko's hand and give it a squeeze.

Kuon grinned, "Well, I guess you'll have to find out."

…..

…..

Kyoko bowed again to the couple who had taken her in all those years ago. She looked back at Kuon who had a bag full of food that they had given him. "Thank you so much," she said as she looked at the two people who loved her like their own daughter. "Kuon says we can come back before we go to America."

"Of course we can," Kuon grinned as he just stood there.

"Know that we both care about all three of you," Okami said as she put a hand on Kyoko's shoulder and smiled at Kuon. "Be sure to come visit with Kuon in the future."

"Yes, yes I will," Kyoko grinned as she tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes.

Kuon watched her before seeing a feminine figure appear from the darkness. He looked at her with his eyes widening a little before he smiled, hopefully this woman would forgive him.

"Kyok—ko," the woman said as she tried hard to control herself.

Kyoko looked around before she started crying again and she ran up to the woman, embracing her. "Mookoo!"

 **End of Chapter Four**

 **Thank you for Reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Three:**

Ashenvale: I think Kyoko is stronger too but then their childhoods were different because of social structure, familial love, etc. I'm glad you thought that because I don't think Kuon would use violence even with something so important to him.

Erza: I have to disagree with you but then I've tended to love blond(e)s. I also like Kei from Special A and (okay he's not blond but I used to love Hatsuharu from Fruits Basket when I was a young teenager). I think that he looks good regardless. Well, I hope you continue to enjoy.

Ivy: Muchas gracias por leer incluso con una traducción.

KrisXD: Well, I hope you got your wish 😊

Ktoll9: Yeah, but would modern Kuon be able to do that to a woman. Glad you liked the chapter.


	5. Chapter 5 - Responsible

**AN:** I want to defend my choice here although it is kind of explained at the end of the chapter. Different people have different ways to deal with the loss of a loved one. I am not trying to show hate to any characters, just the realization that grief affects everyone in different ways.

 **Chapter Five – Responsible**

" _It's because of you that she's dead!" the words echoed off the walls as the distraught actress looked at the grieving widower. Kanae was standing in the middle of LME just staring at the man opposite her, the man that she had felt had led to the circumstances around her friend's passing. "If she had never met you. If you had never convinced her to do that stupid movie. If you had warned her not to go out to lakes at the mi-"_

" _I'm sorry," Kuon apologized to her as he looked down wanting the world to swallow him up. "Kotonami-san, I'm really…I can't even…" he knew that everybody was staring at him and how he looked as if he was made of glass. "I really am -"_

" _If you cared at all about her, then she'd still be here. You murderer" she said as Kuon nodded, the life seeming to leave him at that point. Kyoko's death had been said to have happened about two weeks ago and this was his first time coming to LME. He was taking even less care of his body as usual. "You're responsible for her death."_

" _Kotonami-san, I'm…I would never…" Kuon said but Kanae looked at him._

" _She only took that role because you said it would be good exposure for her, you convinced her that playing a rich young woman would be fun and - if she hadn't taken that role, she wouldn't be dead," Kanae said as Kuon looked down to where he could see Rick's body next to a shell of Kyoko's. He looked pathetically at the floor._

" _That's enough" the president said as he put a hand on Kuu's shoulder, "Go check on your son," he told the man who was grieving also for his second Kuon, "Kanae, perhaps the two of us should talk," he gestured as Kanae looked back at Kuon and sighed before following the president._

…..

…..

Kanae actually opened her arms and embraced her friend. She still couldn't believe that she was here, but she wanted to believe in the miracles that Kyoko had always told her about. She wanted to share all of the positive things that had been happening in her life with the woman opposite her. She looked up at Kuon and saw him smile so immediately looked away.

"Let's go somewhere together, how about ice cream?" Kanae asked as Kuon looked back at the car, "Just the two of us."

Kyoko was about to answer excitedly but then turned to look at Kuon. "I…" she said weakly, "Just the two of us?" she turned to look at the twenty-nine-year-old. Kanae was so beautiful, she had always been beautiful but she looked like a model. She was wearing designer clothes and looked very wealthy with her body in great shape. It made Kyoko feel a little conspicuous.

"It'll be okay," Kuon smiled to her, "If you want me to come and meet you somewhere, please call me, my phone number hasn't changed."

Kyoko looked between her best friends and she felt something sharp within her. Was he pulling away from her? He had already tried to not eat dinner with her tonight and now he wasn't joining her and Moko when they went out for desserts. He had changed a lot. Maybe he had a problem with their age differences. The Kuon that she had come to know would be more protective over her, he would want to spend their first night back together….together.

"I uh -" Kyoko said as she looked between them again.

"There's two sides to every story, Kyoko," Kanae said before trying to bat away false tears as she saw Kyoko turn to Kuon in confusion and shot him a glare. Kuon shrugged whilst looking at them. "I thought that you'd be my friend and talk to me about _my_ side whilst eating ice cream together."

"I just -" Kyoko hesitated before looking at Kuon, "Is that okay?" she asked innocently.

"If that's what you want to do," Kuon told her. "I love you but I want you to be happy even if we're not spending the evening together. As long as you're safe and protected and you can call me if you need me. If there's anything that feels overwhelming or -"

"I can take care of her, Hizuri," Kanae said and Kuon nodded.

"Then I hope you have a good time," he said before turning his back to leave. He froze as Kyoko dashed over to him and wrapped her arms around him, tears soaking into the back of his shirt.

"I love you," she whispered as she felt her heart shake in her chest and Kuon immediately turned around to wrap his arms around her.

"Have a good time," he smiled as he kissed her on the forehead, "I love you so much," he repeated. "Please don't disappear again," he whispered as he let his hand caress her cheek and he leaned down to kiss her again. "I love you with every part of me," he said as Kyoko kissed his chest and held onto him with a few deep inhales so she could use his strength.

"Promise me you'll be okay?" she asked as she took his hands in hers.

"I will be fine," Kuon assured her, "I've got some scripts to look over and maybe I'll run lines. I'm also looking at some of the published work for the new role so I'll be fine. Don't worry about me and have a good time, okay?" he asked as Kyoko saw that there was something he was trying to hide from her but as she looked in his eyes she realized that whatever it was, it was because he loved her that he wasn't disclosing it.

"Okay, Moko-chan, let's go," Kyoko smiled as she looked back at Kuon and saw him get in the car without her.

…..

…..

" _Are you doing alright?" Julie whispered as she put her hand on her son's shoulder whilst Kuu held Isabella in his arms. She could see that her son was almost a trace of a person instead of being himself. She looked at his wrist where he had the bandage on underneath the suit jacket and squeezed his shoulder again. "We're here for you," she promised._

" _Dada!" Isabella squirmed in Kuu's arms and Kuon looked back at her. He could see all the similarities to Kyoko and it hurt but he had been convinced by his parents to take care of her as best he could._

 _Kuon opened his arms out to take the little girl and Kuu very smoothly and carefully transferred her over. All three of them knew that she wouldn't remember this time, she wouldn't remember her mother, but that they would do what they could to keep Kyoko alive for her sake._

" _Have you got her?" Kuu asked as he saw Kuon pull the baby up to his chest and he nodded. Kuu rubbed his son's back as he saw how he was coping about as well as he was when Rick had died. Kuon had told them that he felt cursed and Kuu wanted to argue that he wasn't._

 _Kuon looked at his daughter as he saw Kanae stand to speak once the president had finished. There were three people chosen to speak and although Kuu and Julie were worried about their son not being able to handle it, Kuon was set on giving the third and final eulogy. It was the least he could do for Kyoko._

" _Mo," Kanae said before taking a deep breath in and facing the crowd, she looked at Kuon and then avoided to maintain eye contact with him._

" _We're here to say goodbye to my best friend and work partner, Kyoko Mogami," Kanae said as Kuon felt himself shake a little and there was a shared gasp whilst Julie attempted to hold Kuu back in his seat. "I say that because that is how she lived, how she was kept alive. Kyoko always had such an energy to her that affected others in positive ways. She helped me achieve my dreams many times and she would always pay me special attention. That was just the magic that she had. Kyoko would often embrace me, running full force to have me push her away, but it was her who was able to break through my shell and I wish that I had spent more time with her."_

" _Kyoko was one of those special people who treated those who showed her respect with a great deal of love. She grew to love acting and cared about the world around her. It was too bad that the world didn't love her with the same amount. I wish that I could have taken care of my friend, sheltered her from the bad choices and the wrong decisions."_

 _As she said that, she turned to Kuon and saw Kuu take Isabella from him. She looked back at the crowd but Julie threw her arms around her son before he broke down entirely. "Kyoko always worked her hardest and she had more talent than most of the popular actors of today including foreigners. There are few people like her and she wasn't appreciated or protected enough by this world. I'm going to miss her each and every day. I'm going to miss the way that she coaxed me into breaking my diet, the way that I would go and buy clothes, accessories, makeup just to make her happy and the feeling of completion that she gave me. I wish I could have protected you better, my friend. I wish that you had been allowed to live freely the way that you deserved. Goodbye, my friend."_

 _With that she stepped down and threw her hair over her shoulder whilst Lory was looking at her upset by those words and that attitude. As she stepped down, Kuon stood up, his whole body feeling frozen and everyone could tell how much he was shaking._

" _Can we have a moment?" Julie asked desperately as she tried to hold her son back, "Kuon, you need to breathe before you speak," she said as Lory stood up to try to settle the boy who was like a second son to him._

" _I owe her at least this much," he said unable to use his acting to hide his pain. He just kept thinking of how he had killed her and how he was only alive because he didn't want to abandon Isabella. He was the person who had murdered her mother, he had to make it up to her somehow._

…..

…..

Kyoko smiled happily as she dug into the late night sundae and watched her friend, "It was so nice of you to invite me out for ice cream," Kyoko grinned as she looked at the ice cream that Kanae was eating slowly. "It's rare for you to eat ice cream this late or maybe it isn't," she laughed, "How have you been?"

"It is rare, I'm digesting so many calories, but it's worth it," Kanae replied. "I've been doing a lot of roles and I've also acted as a mentor to some younger actresses, it's very rewarding," she told her and Kyoko smiled again.

"That's great," she said before tilting her head to the side, "Have you started dating anybody?" she asked with a playful laugh and Kanae shrugged.

"Nobody permanent, sometimes love isn't all it's cracked up to be but I'm sure your husband has been saying that you should leave your past friendships in the past," Kanae said and Kyoko blinked confused before looking down at the table.

"No," she said as she thought about the encouragement that Kuon had given her about how she should reconnect with people. Maybe that was why he was trying to keep out of the way, he was probably thinking about what was best for her as he usually did. "Kuon seemed happy for us to spend time together," she said as the older woman looked at her confused.

"He hasn't said _anything_ about me?" she asked and Kyoko hummed.

"Not that I can remember. I think he said that you were still acting but the two of you only spent time together in the past when I was there. I know that you were always respectful of one another but you never seemed to spend any time together when I wasn't there so after he moved I didn't think you would," Kyoko nodded and Kanae looked at her.

"He hasn't been bad mouthing me?" she asked surprised which made the confusion double on Kyoko's face.

"Not at all, Kuon isn't one who goes around talking trash," she smiled, "You remember how he was when he was Ren, he doesn't even like talking about Sho in that way or he didn't." Kyoko looked up and hummed as she tried to think of a catty version of her husband.

 _Please, his acting is so last week. I think his voice sucks and he obviously has trouble playing the piano. His face looks like something that died and then he sewed it on his head._

Kyoko froze as her head span, "Nope. It doesn't work."

Kanae sat very still as she looked at the table. She had been prepared for Kyoko to say that Kuon had said something bad about the way that she had acted, the way that she regretted acting. She tried to get her mind free of that and concentrate on the fact that she was with her friend and her friend was alive. They had many more years separating them but Kyoko had bounced back from an impossible situation with ease. What kind of fairy tale did she believe was the cause of all of this.

"How about we go shopping tomorrow?" Kanae asked and Kyoko looked worried.

"I…I really wanted to go shopping with Kuon tomorrow," she explained as she thought about the times when Kuon had gone with her even to places like a makeup shop that only did products for women. He would always carry her bags and make her feel good about her choices. Yes, he used to just take them from her hands and buy them himself so she didn't have to worry about cost, but he would always treat her and spoil her. What she loved most though was holding his hand and knowing she was with her prince.

"I thought it would be fun," Kanae sighed, "Mo…" she said as she looked aside and Kyoko looked down.

"Maybe we could go shopping tomorrow morning and then I could go with Kuon in the afternoon?" she asked wanting to make her friend happy and give her what she needed. She just wanted to do what was best for everyone.

…..

…..

 _Yashiro looked a little bothered as he sat with Kuon inside of LME. He had seen Kuon's gradual recovery to a point where he could walk around but he agreed with the Hizuris, he needed some help raising Isabella and they were more equipped to handle it. Kuon could also get his dream of being an American actor once he recovered, though Yashiro was definitely going to miss him. What neither of them knew was that Kanae was coming around the corner and could hear their conversation._

" _So, you're really not going to react to any of the interview questions or even the president when it comes to what Kotonami-san said at the memorial service?" Yashiro asked, "You know that she was talking -"_

" _Kotonami-san is suffering," Kuon argued as he still looked very depressed. "Kyoko was someone extremely important to her. Before Kyoko, she had been alone and Kyoko was able to provide friendship for her and they loved each other almost as sisters."_

" _You're the one who's sufferi-" Yashiro tried to argue but Kuon shook his head._

" _There isn't a way of measuring grief," Kuon replied despite Yashiro wanting to protest that. "If I can be an outlet for her, a way of her projecting her grief by being somebody that she can blame for all of this then it's better than if she were angry at herself or she was angry at the entire world. I don't want to cause anyone anymore pain. If this hadn't happened, Kotonami-san wouldn't be placing the blame on me so I'm not going to make it worse by arguing against her."_

" _You do understand that you didn't kill her, right?" Yashiro tried to make sure and Kuon looked down._

" _I want to say yes but I have to accept that I'm one of those people who internalizes these things, I've been through it before. I miss her every day. I wake up in the morning, Yashiro, and I don't feel as if I can do anything but then I hear Isabella and I know I have to get through the day. I should have never let myself have precious people in my life," Kuon replied._

" _You're going to be okay, right?" Yashiro asked nervously._

" _As big a disappointment of a father that I am, I'm the only one that Isabella has. I'm her parent and it's my responsibility to take care of her," Kuon said. He sighed, "Yashiro, I don't know if I'll be okay but I do know I'll survive if only for her sake. She's only got me left."_

" _You're a great dad, Kuon," Yashiro tried to argue but Kuon only sighed. He, once again, felt like an empty shell in the world._

 **End of Chapter Five**

 **Thank you for Reading**

 **Thank you Reviewers, Chapter Four**

Ashenvale: Yes, I did 😉

Brennakai: I hope you're not too disappointed by this chapter in that case.

Erza: Definitely, but since they are in two different countries it's hard to show right now 😊

Ivy: 😊 I'm glad, thank you.

KrisXD: I'm so glad you like it

Ktoll9: Of course they have to show their love too 😊


	6. Chapter 6 - Family

**AN:** I really hope you're enjoying this fic, I love Kuon and I think my bias is obvious.

 **Chapter Six - Family**

Kyoko smiled as she looked at Kanae as the older woman drove her back to the hotel. Kanae sighed as she looked forward, "I don't think we should go shopping tomorrow morning," she said as she looked forward and saw Kyoko's questioning eyes. Was everyone pushing her away because they didn't want her? "Kyoko, I did something terrible and I wanted to tell you before Kuon did."

"Before Kuon…" the twenty-two-year-old asked confused, she didn't know what was going on between her two best friends but she wanted to find out if there was something she could help with. She just wanted to give something back to them. "If it's personal, Moko, then I don't think Kuon would do that. He's amazing at keeping secrets."

Kanae sighed, "I think he'd tell you this one," she said, "and I don't want you to think badly of me because of what he tells you."

Kyoko hesitated again. She didn't think that Kuon would go around and talk about Kanae behind her back especially if it was something that she felt guilty about doing. Kuon, more than anyone, was a believer that you could change as a person and didn't have to lug around your past.

"After your death, I was really hurt and I think that I just started throwing all of the hurt I felt at him. I didn't know what else to do, mo, I…" Kanae looked ahead of her. "When I spoke at your memorial, I purposefully threw a lot of the blame to do with your death at him. I said that he didn't protect you. I said that if you weren't married to him, you wouldn't have died. I even called him a murderer despite the fact that he was suffering more than anybody. I think part of me wanted him to suffer more than anybody."

Kyoko's eyes widened and she looked ahead of her, she could only imagine the pain that he had felt with that and how he would have struggled not to lose it. He had been called a murderer in the past and it had taken a lot of convincing for him to understand that she didn't see him that way.

"Kuon didn't have anything to do wi-" Kyoko said as she felt shocked about that.

"I heard him later when he was discussing it with his manager, he said that he understood that I was blaming him because I was hurt and he wasn't arguing against any of the statements, he wasn't telling interviewers who asked about it that I was a bad person, he just…he was in so much pain and I guess I wanted him to feel responsible," Kanae whispered as a few tears ran down her cheeks.

Kyoko nodded and she tried not to cry her own tears, she knew that Kuon would have just taken all of that darkness and thrown it against himself. He hadn't blamed Moko because she only vocalized the words he had in his own mind. "Thank you for telling me that," Kyoko said as she looked forwards, "but you're wrong."

"I know, he wouldn't have gone and killed you, I was jus-" Kanae said but Kyoko shook her head.

"Kuon wouldn't have told me any of that. He's not that kind of a person, Moko," the younger woman said as she thought about all the times that her husband had helped her in the past.

"Mo, it was a pretty hard thing to forget," Kanae argued but Kyoko still shook her head knowingly.

"That's not what I'm saying. I'm sure that he hasn't forgotten any of it but Kuon isn't programmed like that, he doesn't think like that. He wouldn't have told me because he values you as my friend and you still are my friend," Kyoko said thoughtfully, "He wouldn't have wanted to mess with that even if he was hurt."

Kanae looked at her shocked and Kyoko smiled up with full belief in her own words.

"Spend the day with him," Kanae said, "I'll make sure that we spend some time together before you leave Japan but I think that he's really needed you more than anyone," she said as Kyoko smiled happily.

"Thank you for understanding, Moko," she said before hugging her friend again and jumping out of the car. She was happy that the crowds had dispersed and she went into the hotel to be with the man she couldn't help but to love.

…..

…..

Kyoko opened the door quietly and saw that only a single light was on, the lamp next to what had always been his side of the bed. She saw him in a pair of pajama pants and white tee that showed off his muscles. There was a comic book next to him on the bedside table but as she approached him she could see a picture in his hand of them on their wedding day. He looked so peaceful and yet so fragile as he slept.

She very slowly went over to him, trying not to make a sound and sat down on the bed next to him. "Sweetheart," she whispered as she let her fingers touch his blond hair, "Corn, are you awake?" she asked him as he murmured in his sleep.

"[Kyoko, I'm sorry,]" he whispered, "[I couldn't protect you, I screwed up, I'm so sorry,]" he said in English.

Kyoko looked down as she tried to wipe her tears away. He was always trying to help everyone around him but had he let anyone else in to help him during these six years. She could imagine that he had let his parents in enough for him to have the strength to act and he was a good father, she had always known he would take after Kuu in that. On a personal level though, was he still struggling alone?

"There's no need for you to be sorry, Kuon," she said as she wanted to keep her voice calm and not have the emotion show in it. She knelt down opposite him and took his hand, letting her fingers curl around his and noticing the ring he was still wearing. She saw his eyes start to open and grinned, "Sorry to wake you, my prince," she said as he blinked hard.

"Kyoko?" he asked before sitting up quickly, "[Where ar—did something,]" he took a few deep breaths as he put a hand to his face. "[Of course, the frozen lake,]" he said as Kyoko smiled and sat back. Maybe he needed time to adjust. "I fell asleep," he whispered in Japanese.

"That's okay," Kyoko said as she watched him, "I don't mind that you fell asleep. It looked as if you might have nee-"

"Are you okay? Did everything go okay?" he asked as he tried to get himself into a more alert place. Again he was deflecting her questions about how he was feeling but this was something that Kyoko had realized during their relationship was natural for him. "You went out with Kotonami-san," he said and she nodded whilst watching him, "Did you have a good time? Nothing happened, right?"

"I'm fine," Kyoko smiled as she sat on the bed next to him. She wrapped her arms around him and let her head rest on his shoulder so she could kiss his neck. "It was good. We talked and ate ice cream and It was really nice to spend time with my second best friend," Kyoko put a finger to her lips, "but don't tell her that."

"Your second?" Kuon asked as he looked at her before looking at the bed, "Did I forge-"

"How can anyone be better than my own personal fairy prince," Kyoko smiled as she placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him passionately. She pulled back and whispered softly, "I love you so much."

Kuon looked at her with his puppy dog eyes that always made him look so adorable. She wrapped her arms around him again and took some deep inhales to take advantage of his natural smell and his warmth. She also loved the feeling of his muscles underneath his shirt which made her wonder if he was still a model. He should be one of the best internationally at this point.

"So, it went well, I'm glad," the actor said as he pressed his cheek to the top of his wife's head and beamed as he was able to hold her again.

"Kuon," the former actress said slowly, wanting to test her husband, "did anything go on between you and Kanae since I've been gone?"

Kuon looked at her before smiling, "We were never really close but I've seen some great work from her as both an actress and a model. I've shown Isabella a lot of her work and she considers her very beautiful, I've told her some of the stories that you told me about the two of you. I wish that Kotonami-san and Isabella had been able to meet but hopefully that will change now that you're here."

"You told Isabella stories about Moko?" Kyoko asked as she thought back to what Kanae had told her in the car. This was the complete opposite reaction to what her friend had been expecting.

"Kotonami-san always had a lot of importance to you, she was your first female friend, of course I had to include her in the stories. I think Isabella even told her own friends about the stories so I hope I got them right," Kuon laughed softly. "It's always harder to tell a second-hand story." He tilted his head to the side, "Why? Did she say something about me?" he asked.

"Not very much at all," Kyoko said as she tried not to bring up the past.

Kyoko saw the older man start to shift in the bed as if he were about to get up and she knelt up so she could put a hand on his shoulder and prevent him from getting out of the bed. "You look so tired," she whispered as she saw his longing for her. "I'm going to get clean and put on something for bed and I want you to stay here. I have a favor to ask of you," she said as Kuon looked worried.

"Yes, whatever it is, I think we can do it," he told her, "or I can do it. What do you need?" he said as he reached out for his phone. Kyoko shook her head and pressed a kiss to his forehead whilst kneeling with each of her knees outside of each of his legs.

"I want my husband to hold me close and sleep with his arms around me," she said before winking playfully, "You think you can do that?"

"Of course," Kuon beamed and Kyoko had to be thankful that their marriage had come with invisible sunglasses because that light might have overpowered her.

…

…

Isabella grinned at her grandfather as he helped her put the pancake mix into the pan. She grinned up at him and put her spoon in the mix.

"Are you ready?" Kuu asked as he brought the chair to the stove. "Don't put your hands here, okay?" he asked as he smoothed back the little girl's blond hair. "You have to be careful,"

"I know," Isabella sighed with a roll of her eyes, "I'm not a little kid, grandpa."

"Really?" Kuu laughed, "Could have fooled me, maybe it's time I invested in some reading glasses. I might be too old," he said as he kissed her. "So, put your hand on Grandpa's," he said and Isabella leaned across as she did so and Kuu flipped the pan as Isabella giggled.

"Graaandpa," Isabella said as she pulled back as he gave her a thumbs up. "You're so silly," she giggled and watched as her grandfather served up the pancakes and brought the small multi part dish with the toppings on it.

"Well, I think that your dad is also silly," Kuu laughed before helping Isabella down.

"Where is Daddy this time?" the seven-year-old asked with a tilt of her head. She was used to her father going on different business trips but he would usually take her out for the day before he left and they would go wherever she chose and he would take her on a shopping spree and spoil her but now he had just left her with her grandparents.

"He's gone to meet someone special," Kuu smiled and Isabella looked down at the floor.

"Daddy isn't going to get hurt like in Cinderella, right?" she asked and Kuu shook his head.

"No," he replied, he had already promised Kuon that they wouldn't tell Isabella about what was happening with her mother or that they had found her mother until they were both in a room together. Kuu could only hope that things would turn out for the best for his son and his son's family. "I think you'll like the special person he's meeting with."

Isabella nodded, "but Daddy's the number one Dad," she said before eating her pancake.

Kuu grinned to that, "He sure is," he said as he looked at the clock. He wondered if things really were turning out for the best. The last thing he wanted was for his son and his granddaughter to be hurt again.

 **End of Chapter Six**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers Chapter Five**

Ashenvale: I agree 😊

Brennakai: You're right. I didn't choose a godmother this fic. You'll have to wait and see about Yasshy.

Erza: Glad that you liked it 😊

KrisXD: They did but they both have their Kyoko back 😊

Ktoll9: Still, Kyoko cares about her friends especially her (hopefully not too surprising) best friend.

Paulagato: Bueno, Kuon no tiene muchos cerca de él porque perdió a su mejor amigo y a su esposa. Hizo algunos amigos, pero aún se mantiene distante a tiempo.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Reality vs The Celebrity

Kyoko faced the man in front of her as they stood at the airport. They were about to catch a flight to go to America. It wouldn't be their first time going, ever since Ren had changed to Kuon, they had been visiting the Hizuris numerous times a year but this was the first time when Kyoko would actually be saying goodbye to Japan. She smiled as she held her bag of things that they had only bought in the past few days. "I'm looking forward to this, I'm looking forward to seeing Isabella," she told him.

She saw Kuon stop and took a few steps forwards so she could see his face. He was laughing in a way that made Kyoko feel uncomfortable. "Is something funny?" she asked as she saw his emerald eyes fill with hate that made her freeze. He put a hand to his forehead and gave a dramatic sigh.

"Wow, you are….I knew you were stupid but I never actually thought you were _that_ stupid, who said that we were going to America together?" he asked and Kyoko faltered.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko whispered as she tilted her head to the side, "What's going on?"

"I'm a very popular actor, Mogami-san," Kuon said as if he was giving her another NG in a false play. Kuon walked forwards to grab a young woman's hand as she stood opposite them. "I didn't want to fool you so convincingly but wow…you really did fall for it. Our relationship is done, I have no use for you, I just didn't want to lose face."

Kyoko felt her heart start to shake as she located her Pandora's box again, she felt the locks start breaking as she watched Kuon kiss this woman in front of her.

"Oh, she is really an ugly little rat," the woman said as Kyoko tried to get a look at her face.

"She's of no consequence to me now," he said before turning around and looking at her as his appearance changed into that of the man she had left before falling into the lake. She saw his look of dislike, his mocking eyes, his lack of care to her. She saw that his hair was turning a deep brown and his eyes were changing color, even his clothes turned into those he was wearing when discussing her LME audition.

"How could I ever want to be associated with something so plain and boring?" he asked with a sigh and a shake of his head, "You have zero chance. Goodbye."

He turned and Kyoko fell back to find herself a sixteen year old wearing a Moz Burger uniform as Ren walked away whilst laughing with this other woman.

…..

…

 **AN:** _Hope I didn't scare you guys there_ _and that you enjoy the rest of the chapter._

 **Chapter Seven: The Reality vs. The Celebrity**

"No!" the twenty-two-year-old gasped as she sat up in the bed, she felt her body was cold and there was sweat there. She heard the tweeting of birds and saw the sun peeking in from the window. He wasn't here? Kyoko grabbed the blankets and pulled them tightly around her as she started to cry. That wouldn't happen, right?

"No, no, he wouldn't," she said to herself before hearing the door to the bathroom area swing open and she saw the very concerned thirty-two-year-old watching her in panic. She looked up into those emerald eyes which were quickly trying to pinpoint the pain and that very protective expression he wore.

"Kyoko," he said in a very straightforward manner though she could sense the many layers of fear underneath. "Are you alright?"

She could see him open his mouth as if wanting to throw multiple questions at her and his hands were shaking as if wanting to touch her but not knowing if that would lead to more damage.

"Please don't leave me at the airport," Kyoko whispered as she put her face onto her knees and wrapped her arms around them like a scared child. She froze as she saw the expression on Kuon's face as he tried to let those words sink in.

"Why would I leave you at the airport?" he asked, stunned at that. He walked over to the bed before sitting down and gently transferring Kyoko's body to his lap so he could hold her close. "Princess," he whispered as he felt her turn and cry into his chest. "What is it? Are you scared that I'm going to leave you?" he asked as he tried to kiss her a few times. "It was just a dream, just your fear manifesting in a dream, it wasn't real. I love you so much."

"It isn't right," Kyoko whispered, "the fairy spell isn't right? I shouldn't….this shouldn't have happened."

Kuon sighed and rubbed her back, "Maybe it's just too much information being thrown at you all at once?" he asked, "Maybe we just need to take it slowly. We can do that. We can take it at your speed." He looked to her and took a brief inhale, "Am I scaring you?" he asked awkwardly.

"No," Kyoko replied as she let him hold her. "Kuon," she began as he hummed, still holding her on his lap, "It's been six years…that's longer than we've been together," she told him causing a little bit of hesitation. "I've seen you with women and I just…why didn't you remarry?"

Kuon froze at that but looked down with a small smile, "Because I'm selfish," he told her and Kyoko looked at him, not quite understanding those words. "You know that I've come a long way to turn myself into the person that I currently am. You know that even between the time I left America and then later came out as Kuon, I had a lot that I had to process. Well, during that time there was one person who really believed in me and helped me. Even as a kid you were someone who inspired me despite you being six and me being ten. I think so highly of you that nobody would ever be able to successfully take your place and I'm stubborn, if I can't be with the woman that is the love of my life, I don't want to be with anybody."

"Bu-but I know when you were a teenager, you would go through girlfriends as if they were seasons in the year," Kyoko argued as Kuon laughed.

"A bit more frequently than that" he sighed, "but none of them ever gave me that adrenaline and fear as you've given me, none of them made me lose my head to follow my heart, none of them made me feel loved and made me want to prove my love." Kuon smiled at her as he felt Kyoko start to relax in his arms.

"So you changed a watch for a ring?" Kyoko asked and Kuon dropped his head but then nodded.

"That's one way of seeing it," he told her. He felt Kyoko push herself away from him only to kneel down opposite him. He blinked as he looked at her wanting her to speak first.

"So, you're mine?" she asked feeling a bit selfish asking that.

"All yours," he nodded with that blinding smile, "You managed to cure the darkness in my heart," he told her before laughing, "You managed to survive what you called the Ren Tsuruga School of Harsh Discipline and Constantly Being Toyed With."

"I still can't believe I was the one who was lucky enough to win the heart of Tsuruga Ren," Kyoko blushed but felt him reach out and cup her cheek before bringing their lips together and kissing her passionately as Kyoko felt the happiness from being loved by this man bloom inside of her.

"Let's just say that you won the heart of Hizuri Kuon, which you've always told me is better than the heart of Tsuruga Ren, why else would I have married you?" he asked and Kyoko nodded as she remembered how happy he had looked when they were standing together at their wedding. She threw her arms around him tight and took a few inhales.

"I'm alright now," she told him, "I'm perfect."

…

…

Kyoko knew she wasn't being paranoid. There were numerous people all around the two of them whispering about how they were back, whispering about how that was the famous Kuon Hizuri and whether they should approach him to ask questions, cameras flashing in the background. Kuon must be seeing these things too.

"Kyoko," Kuon said as he leaned forwards and took her hand in his, "Are you ready to order?" he asked as he ran his thumb over the back of his hand whilst they sat in the restaurant to order brunch. Kyoko looked around before looking at the menu.

"I…" she said flustered and Kuon pointed to something on the menu very subtly. "Oh, yes, the hamburger with egg, please?" she requested as Kuon smiled to her.

"I'll have the soup, small size, with a cup of black coffee," he ordered as he took Kyoko's hand and pressed it to his lips. He was just enjoying being here with her opposite him.

"Ye-Yes, the tea, I'll have the ice tea," Kyoko said quickly as Kuon smiled at her once their orders had been taken.

"You're adorable," Kuon commented as he grinned playfully at the woman he loves with his whole being. He continued to smile at her as he held her hand in his own and she grinned back at him.

"So," Kyoko smiled as she looked at him playfully and he laughed as he watched her facial expression, "I do have one question for you right now, Kuon," she said as she looked at him without breaking eye contact. Kuon grinned as he continued to look at her and Kyoko reached in the bag that he had already bought her before pulling out a magazine.

"Can you explain this?" she asked as Kuon picked it up before putting a hand to his forehead.

"What do you want to know?" he asked as he looked at the headline: _The new role for Oscar winning Hizuri Kuon: The Green Arrow. Get to know this comic book hero and how Hizuri is getting into his next role._

"Well, who is this Green Arrow?" she asked him and Kuon smiled softly as he drew in another breath. He placed a hand on the magazine before raising an eyebrow.

"I guess you're going to have to find out," he said before taking a deep inhale, "In America, superheroes are….well they have come back in a big way. Every major comic book hero is getting a movie and I wanted to get in on it. It's so much better than being asked to play Lobo which is another movie that is in the works."

"Lobo?" Kyoko asked before Kuon dug out his phone which made Kyoko's eyes widen even more. She had seen him on his phone before when he had been talking to Isabella, but the phones were so much flashier than she remember. She saw him get onto the internet before pulling up a picture of the character. "Well, I can see why you'd prefer to be Oliver Queen than this guy," she said before Kuon took his phone back.

"I get to do my own stunts as well," Kuon smiled, "I'm really looking forward to it."

"Then I'm going to look forward to it too," Kyoko nodded, "I always feel happy when I see you getting excited about your acting. I can't wait to see you perform more and more," she looked at him regretting not being able to see so much of his work and so many of his new characters. Hopefully he would win another Academy Award one day and she would be there in the audience when he did so.

"Kyoko, if you feel more comfortable in Ja-"

"I've decided that I want to focus on being a wife and mother," she told her husband, "And then we'll see." She rubbed his hand with her thumb before their brunches were set down before them. She saw the waitress looking at Kuon as if expecting him to do something.

"I was wondering if you were available for a moment, Hizuri-sama?" she asked and Kuon looked at her blankly though Kyoko could tell he was wrestling with the idea of staying with her and doing something for a fan.

"Maybe after we've paid for the meal," Kyoko said as this time she brought _his_ hand to her lips, "Right now, I'm afraid he's all spoken for."

 **End of Chapter Seven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Six**

Brennakai: I'm glad you like it. 😊 Well, first Kyoko has to spend time with Kuon.

Erza: I feel like there's something I'm not getting about godparents but maybe that's because I don't have them and I'm not Christian. Maybe I'll make a certain person a godfather though since isn't a godparent supposed to be someone that the couple both know well and have trust in. I was planning on Kuu and Julie being the go-tos for if Isabella was orphaned.

KrisXD: Epic, yes, but Kuon will be right at her side and we'll have to see what happened between Kuon and Saena 😉

Ktoll9: Thank you, glad it wasn't disappointing because that's how I'd read her character too 😊


	8. Chapter 8 - Make Up

**AN:** Hope you like this, it shows a darker memory but I hope I balanced it out with some cute stuff too.

 **Chapter Eight – Make Up**

"Grandmaaa," Isabella smiled at Julie as her grandmother had her sit at her vanity table, "Daddy says I'm not allowed to wear makeup like the Disney princesses do. He says I have to be older," she said as her grandmother crouched down next to her so that they could both look into the mirror. Julie kissed her granddaughter's cheek whilst noticing the similarities between the two of them.

"Well, this is just play makeup, not really expensive makeup like Grandma uses," she grinned as she started to brush Isabella's hair. Julie knew that with Kyoko's death and with Kuon's lack of knowledge when it came to what women needed, a lot of the duties of a female role model were hers. She had to say that she loved it. She knew Kuon played dolls and Legos and many many different things with his daughter, but Kuon didn't really know about tights and skirts or about the desire to look like Rapunzel from Tangled.

Sexist as it was that was how America was built and Kuon was trying his hardest to knock down those stereotypes for his little girl.

"Like when I play with Lisa?" Isabella asked as she thought about when she used the old makeup items that her mother had left behind and they pretended to be at a salon and give each other makeovers. "And when I do Tony's hair?" she asked and Julie hummed.

"Well a little bit more than that," she said as she swept Isabella's long blond hair back. Julie pulled out some light child-safe powder and a pack of Disney lip glosses. She also pulled out her box of nail polish. "So, what is it going to be?" she asked the little girl.

"Daddy helped me with makeup once," Isabella smiled before she frowned as a sad memory came into her head. "It was only once though. He said that he didn't want me to get used to it but we had to meet _her_ ," Isabella shivered and Julie wrapped her arms around the tiny little girl.

"Well, let's be thankful that not all grandmothers are like that," she said and Isabella smiled as she turned to kiss Julie's cheek and wrapped her little arms around her shoulder.

"I love you Grandma," she said as Julie pulled the little girl to her chest. She truly did love this angel.

…..

…..

 _Kuon looked nervously down at the card in his hand. He could have just ignored this and as he held the five-year-old's hand was starting to regret taking her here. Saena had asked to meet with him. This was a strange occurrence because he had only seen her once since the death and that was to ask her to come to her daughter's memorial service out of respect to her. She hadn't come. She had told him that he was wasting his time and that as a grieving widower and now single father, he had better things that he needed to do with his time than cry over some pathetically useless girl._

 _He had hoped that she would have at least sat in the back even if she left immediately after the service. Of course, she hadn't._

 _So, when the thirty-year-old had received a card saying that she requested an interview with him and his daughter, Kuon had hesitantly agreed to it._

" _[Daddy,]" Isabella said as she looked up at her dad and Kuon crouched down opposite her so that the two could be at closer levels. "[Why do I have to wear this?]" she said as she looked at the formal white dress that was very plain apart from the sharp construction elements. She had a little bit of makeup on her face and her daddy had even pulled her hair back with a white ribbon. "[Grandma and Grandpa let me wear my clothes. They let me wear shorts.]"_

" _[Grandma and Grandpa let you wear anything you want, but they are Daddy's parents. You know how in the fairytale books there are some parents who are nice and then others who are more strict?"] he attempted to explain it to her. "[and how some of those strict parents still love their children but want what's best for them. Well, Mommy's mother is a bit more like those parents and she expects a lot from Daddy, but after this dinner, we can go back and get your shorts and go have some fun, okay?]" Kuon asked as he placed a hand on his daughter's cheek with so much love in his eyes._

" _[Okay.]" Isabella smiled as she hugged her dad and then pulled back to see him pet her affectionately on the head in the same manner he used to do to Kyoko. "[I have to try to use my Japanese, right?]" she pouted and Kuon laughed._

" _[Try your best]" he told her, "[but if you have trouble finding a word to use just grab my hand and I'll help you,]" he grinned._

 _Isabella laughed before touching Kuon's hair since he had styled it in a professional manner for this occasion as well as put on a suit jacket and pants and white shirt with tie. "[Daddy, your hair looks nice like that.]"_

" _[Thank you, princess, but yours is much prettier,]" he grinned before holding her hand, "[Now let's go, we don't want to keep her waiting.]"_

…..

…..

Kuon smiled as he watched his wife in the makeup store, he knew there were a lot of women in there that day so he would stand by the door and just watch as she looked at all the things that she loved. He had tried to remind her that she shouldn't be looking at the prices and if he caught her worrying about whether something was so expensive, he would go and buy her ten of the product no matter how much it cost.

He laughed to himself as he remembered when Setsuka had complained about Cain buying her so many pants and then Cain had gone and bought her shirts instead. He didn't want to say that it was because he wanted to keep himself away from anything that could make her feel uncomfortable or that he might act inappropriately.

As he stood by the side, he smiled to one of the makeup artists who was trying to find a client. He could tell that these women found pride in their jobs and he just wanted to stay out of the way, fortunately he had found somewhere blocked off from most people.

He sighed as he continued to watch Kyoko with a smile on his face and saw a woman approach him whilst the makeup artist continued to blush whilst looking at him. Kuon blinked before looking at the woman in front of him, Marika Takenaba, a twenty-four-year-old model that he had modeled with on international shoots.

"Why are you here, Kuon-sama?" she asked and he looked away from her.

"To spend time with someone special," he said before smiling a Ren Tsuruga smile to hide the fact that she was bothering him. "How about you? I saw there was a sale on in this store but I thought that you got your makeup straight from the -"

"I can't resist a sale," Marika said as she tried to link arms with him but Kuon pulled away immediately, offering up a stunned look at how forward she was being. "You just said that you wanted to spend time with someone special, why can't that special person be me?"

"I already have someone special to me," Kuon said as the Ren smile got even more plastered on. "I think that you should go back and enjoy the sale, okay?" he asked as he tried to literally push her away from him. He managed to stop before too many people noticed him and gave a quick wave before going to stand back in the shadows.

Marika looked after him, "It's been so long since you've played with me," she pouted, "don't you want to go out for some co-"

"Is everything alright, Kuon?" Kyoko asked as she came over and wrapped herself around her husband's arm whilst Marika looked stunned and disgusted by what had just happened. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," she said before looking at Kuon and then bowed to the woman with a small bow, "I'm Hizuri Kyoko, Kuon's wife," she said with a challenging gleam in her eyes.

Kuon wrapped his arm around her and took her basket from her, "Shall we go pay?" he asked as he brought her in close and she clung to his shirt possessively.

"Yes, I think I got all that I was looking for. It was nice to meet you," she smiled to Marika with her own Tsuruga-san smile. Marika glared after her.

"I never thought that Kuon-sama would be with anyone that ugly," she said and the couple both felt their back straighten before they, in perfect timing, turned around with extremely dark looks. What did she just say?

….

…..

 _Saena looked at the man opposite her as Kuon trained his face to have a neutral and still respectful expression on it. He looked at the woman opposite him as she studied him and then looked down her nose at his daughter who didn't seem to have realized this._

" _So, I think it's best to start this morning off with something to drink. I take it that the child doesn't have coffee and I can't think of a man having mil-"_

" _Black," Kuon cut her off, "I always drink my coffee black," he said as she raised an eyebrow at how he had interrupted her. He didn't want to add that Kyoko had known that when he was sick, he liked a little bit of milk in his coffee and when he was hung over she would put in a dash of cream as well. "Isabella is only five, she doesn't drink coffee," he said before turning back to his daughter. "What would you like to drink, Bella?" he asked her in Japanese though he spoke slowly so she could follow his words._

" _[Orange juice?] Bella asked before putting a hand to her mouth, she had said that in English so she quickly switched to Japanese, "Can I have orange juice, please?" she asked and Kuon smiled upon her, pride in his eyes._

" _Yes, I'll get you that," he said as he looked at Saena, his smile turning into a neutral expression._

" _The child should know how to speak Japanese in a non-Western style," Saena said with a dismissive wave of her hand, "You would have thought that she hadn't been born in Japan. I suppose you've taken that away from her."_

 _Kuon looked at the lawyer in front of him not knowing what to say. Legally, to be a Japanese citizen, Isabella would have had to have surrendered her American citizenship but Kuon had managed to go through the legal channels in America to get her a 'forbidden' dual citizenship._

 _Fortunately the waitress interrupted their conversation and Kuon tried to think of how to avoid answering the question to a Japanese lawyer. "So, how have you been, Mogami-san?" he asked her as the name caused a slight tear to his heart._

" _I have not called you here to talk about work, Hizuri-san," Saena said as she looked at him as if he were some kind of bug. "I wanted to inspect you and the child. I don't want you interfering in my life the way that your wife tried to."_

 _Kuon bit his tongue to stop himself from defending what Kyoko was attempting to achieve by reconnecting with her mother. He nodded and sat there in silence until the waitress had brought the drinks. He smiled politely and thanked her and then smiled at Isabella as she thanked the waitress as well._

" _So, the child is not completely ugly though pretty is not a word that I'd choose," Saena said as Kuon couldn't help but to glare at her. Saena coughed at that. "Control your face, Hizuri-san, a true Japanese man like…let's say, Tsuruga Ren, would never have let his emotions show like that."_

 _Kuon took a deep breath to try to shake the anger off of him. He just had to get through this meeting and then he could let out the anger in the bathroom of their hotel room._

" _I take it that, because this girl is not beautiful," she said before coughing again as she noticed Kuon's hand tighten around his knee, "she possesses some other unusual talents."_

" _Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Kuon said as he placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder protectively. "Bella is incredibly talented, she's smart, polite, helpful, friendly, athletic, she's -"_

" _Such an American thing to brag about such an underwhelming child. I take it if she was really talented, she would have been reported on by that pathetic American media. They always do put such ridiculous things on TV and you should know that." Saena said and Kuon definitely regretted agreeing to meet her._

" _Well, you shouldn't know anything about taking pride in exceptionally beautiful and bright children would you?" he asked as a dark look came onto his face, "with the lack of respect that you had in dealing with your own daughter."_

" _This is interesting," Saena commented as she saw Kuon show his anger, unable to rely on his acting when dealing with this cold and manipulative woman. "I had my suspicions that you were as much of a failure as my daughter was and now I see why. Did you kill her, Hizuri? Did you use that anger to beat and abuse her? Well, no wonder your daughter is a failure of a child," she said as the dark aura came around Kuon and his expression darkened further, "You are absolutely ill equipped at parenting."_

 _Kuon took his wallet and threw some coins onto the table, not even counting them. "This was a mistake to meet you, you said that you wanted to see how my family would end up affecting you and I agreed out of respect which is something that you're sorely missing," he said as the restaurant turned around. Kuon's past had come out in the media when he had revealed his name but people in Japan hadn't actually seen the country's treasured actor behave like this in the public eye before._

" _I don't care about you any more than to the extent that my wife wanted to make you happy and proud of her. I wanted the best for Kyoko. I wanted whatever would make her happy and I supported her decision but I know that Kyoko wouldn't allow you to disrespect our daughter like this. You have no right to talk about our daughter in this way. Isabella is a sweet and kind individual who is intelligent, talented, and incredibly beautiful. I will not have you attack her." Kuon shoulders were shaking as he put his hands on the table. He could take the criticism against himself but he couldn't take it when it came to his five-year-old daughter._

" _Bella," he said as Isabella looked at him worried before crying. Kuon softened in his tone and switched to English knowing he must have frightened her with how he was acting and that he had yelled in a language she only had slightly more than a basic grasp of. He knelt down opposite her. "[Bella, I am so sorry,]" he whispered as she threw her arms around him and he scooped her up. "[Daddy is so sorry,]" he said as he kissed her forehead, "[Sssh, it's okay, I didn't mean to scare you, princess,]" he tried to soothe her. "[Let's go back to the hotel and we can play, okay?]" he asked and Saena rolled her eyes._

" _So pitifully childish you are, Hizuri," she said but Kuon didn't even respond back to that as he glared at the woman and ignored everyone who was staring at him._

…..

…..

"Kuon," Kyoko said as she saw how coldly he was looking at the stupid woman. She sighed before trying to let it go, she had faced criticism for years and this wasn't anything new to her. "Let's just go pay for these," she said as she put a hand on his back.

Kuon sighed, masking his face with the Tsuruga smile, "Well, I guess I should be going. I hope to never see you again so unless we're working together, please try to keep your distance from me," he told Marika and Kyoko's eyes widened a little as she remembered how she had once been scared that he would say that to her.

As they went to the counter, Kyoko tightly clutched to her husband's hand, "It's okay. People say that out of jealousy," she said as she watched him take out his wallet and the salesgirl excitedly helping them out. She could tell how upset the words had made him, they had taken more of a toll on him than her.

"Kyoko, I have never known anyone more beautiful than you," he smiled to her and Kyoko wrapped herself around his arm.

"I love you and I'm so proud to be the wife of someone who is so unbelievably gorgeous, both inside and out," she told him as she kissed his shoulder and rested her head there just enjoying him being there beside her.

 **End of Chapter Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, Reviewers of Chapter Seven**

Brennakai: Well, this chapter showed one character that will be included later 😉

Erza (Tsuruga): I know the purpose of godparents but what I was saying is that they don't need godparents (who are responsible for taking care of an orphaned child) because Kuu and Julie are the next in line to take care of Isabella if anything had caused Kuon's death. Glad that you liked the chapter.

Ivy: Algo de eso no se tradujo para mí, pero me alegra que te guste la historia. Tengo planes para el futuro de Kyoko, pero Kuon, con su apariencia natural y ciudadanía, es más probable que actúe.

KrisXD: I'm glad you liked the ending and of course, Kyoko adores her husband.


	9. Chapter 9 - Demonic Creatures

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this chapter even though it has a lot that is the same as the previous one.

 **Chapter Nine – Demonic Creatures**

Kyoko smiled at the form for her new passport. After they had gone shopping, they had decided that the best thing to do was for Kyoko to be brought back from the dead and that meant activating the bank account, getting her an ID, updating her in the medical system, and requesting a new passport. That had made it so that they were in time to have a late dinner.

"Thank you for today," Kyoko smiled as she held Kuon's hand tightly in hers as they went to the formal restaurant. Kyoko was dressed in a white evening dress with a pink coat that Kuon had been excited to buy for her whilst he had on a suit jacket, shirt and tie, and formal pants. She moved herself to his arm and wrapped herself around him whilst humming.

"Are you sure you're okay with the restaurant choice," Kuon said softly as he kissed the top of her head. "I thought with the level of VIP service in here, it would be nice to go somewhere where we wouldn't be bothered," Kuon let his fingers go through her black hair and grinned at her, "You're ravishing, absolutely gorgeous," he said as he kissed the strand of hair and saw her blush slightly.

"Do we have time to stop outside?" Kyoko asked as she looked at the restaurant in front of them.

"I think that we have a couple of minutes," Kuon replied as a concerned expression crossed over his face. "Why, is something wrong? Do you need something?"

"Stay right there," Kyoko smiled as she put her hands on Kuon's shoulders and then leaned up on her heels enough to kiss him. She beamed up at him, "I needed to kiss my husband," she said as Kuon smiled at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world, which to him, she was.

"Okay, now it's your turn to come here," Kuon gestured with his hand for her to come right to his chest. Ignoring the paparazzi that had come out to take photos of him, Kuon lifted his wife up, twirled her a little and then gave her the most passionate kiss before putting her feet on the ground and finishing the kiss. He paused as he heard a few people cheering at this movie style kiss.

"You're always such a romantic," Kyoko commented as she giggled over how this man could be so affectionate with somebody like her. She never wanted this moment to end but she knew they had to enter the restaurant otherwise they would miss the reservation.

"That's because I'm inspired by the woman I want to be romantic to," Kuon grinned. He let his hand go through her hair again and laughed before hearing someone cough. He recognized that sound as something ugly and his back straightened.

"American people are often disgusting with their ugly public displays of affection," the woman said and Kuon's eyes narrowed. There was no way that they could be somewhere at the same time as this…creature.

Kyoko's eyes widened as she noticed the woman, "Mo-" she said before noticing that she was with a group of people who looked like the country's top lawyers. She had promised to try to not let the relationship be too public. She bowed knowing how to cover up that mistake, "Mogami-san, it's good to -"

"Let's go inside, Kyoko," Kuon said as Kyoko saw the Ren Tsuruga face that Kuon had and she felt a burning hatred within him. She hadn't felt this all day but she knew that it was what happened when he really disliked somebody. She had felt in towards her in the early days of her LME adventure and she had felt it in her dream.

"I see you're still a wild beast, Hizuri," she said as she tried to ignore the way some of her colleagues were looking at him as if he were a god. "I thought that you would have caged your inner monster. Well, I guess they even give animals blue ribbons so an idiotic country like The United States must not be able to tell the difference with their awards. What next? a tiger?"

Kuon grit his teeth as his anger grew deeper, "Do you even see this woman standing in front of you?" he asked as Kyoko felt a shock inside by those words. She turned back to Kuon, had something happened between the two of them? "Do you even see who this is and that's how you -"

"Someone that insignificant," Saena commented, "so she decided to fall into a lake and get frozen. It worked for me. I didn't have to be associated with a rat like her, just a small vermin of no importance. It only solidified my feelings that she should have been gotten rid of during pregnancy."

Kyoko's body started shaking at that and Kuon saw the tears fall down her cheeks.

"Princess, why don't you go get us the table?" he asked as he tried to dab away her tears. "I'll be right in, would that be okay?" he said, "or we don't have to eat at all. We can just tell them to cancel it, it'll be okay," he said and Kyoko reached out to hold him.

Kuon saw Saena wave her colleagues away and he wrapped his arms tightly around his wife.

"She's as ugly as your...offspring, crying is -" Saena continued but Kuon felt his anger growing.

"Well, you seem to have a warped sense of what beauty is which I would have told you before," he said with a cold grin and the darkness in his eyes. "The only thing that stopped me from telling you how cold and cruel you were before is that my daughter was upset and crying and I don't like to get angry in front of her. You are nothing," he whispered to her, "You think that you have control over the people that I love, you think you can insult them and tear them down but it would only take a couple of words from me and an insignificant amount of money for me to wipe out your career, to cast you out into the street. Yet, I would never do that because I don't share your inhuman qualities."

He was swiftly leading them to somewhere away from the public without Saena noticing, he was keeping his voice down so people couldn't hear his words.

"The fact that you have so little confidence in yourself, deserved of course but pitiable, that you would attack a five-year-old who was only trying to be polite shows you as the bug that you are. I've never forgiven you for your interactions with our daughter," he said as Kyoko stared at him wide-eyed but she still hung to his arm. "You will _never_ get near her again. I showed my respect to you before because you gave birth to my wife and biologically are Isabella's family but I don't give a crap about that."

"I don't really care if you call me an animal because at least I'm not a demon like you. I have had to deal with creatures like you my entire life and you can't even see how the world doesn't acknowledge you. You want to attack the people that I love, well I'll protect them with my entire being. You want to bad mouth me to the authorities, to the press, I don't give a damn because my wife and my daughter are more important to me than being liked. You don't deserve these biological members of your family because you've never learned what it is to love."

"If I ever see you again, I'll make sure that your precious career is nothing but ashes and trust me," he said as an extremely cold and dark expression crossed his face but also the feeling of superiority, "I have the power to do so. So," he leaned closer to her and said very slowly, " F off"

Saena's mouth hung open and she looked to her daughter who was now rubbing the man's back and still holding tightly to his hand as if how he had acted had been acceptable, as if she could still love someone that heartless. "You can be with a monster like that?" she asked Kyoko and Kuon's eyes widened as he looked upon her.

"Of course," Kyoko smiled, "I don't mean you any disrespect but I love each and every part of my husband and I accept him for who he is. I hope we can talk in the future," she said, "but I will always choose to be with my husband, standing by his side, no matter how deeply his words cut because that's what love is."

Kyoko pushed her face into Kuon's arm again, "Kuon, let's go and eat dinner," she said as she tried to lead Kuon back to the restaurant. She didn't want him to see how shocked his words had made her. However, even seeing him like this, she didn't love him any less at all.

Before they stepped into the restaurant, Kyoko put her hand to her husband's cheek and gently rubbed his stubble with her thumb. "Will you be okay?" she asked him, "that was a lot of anger."

"I'll be okay as long as you are," Kuon said as Kyoko noticed the sadness and guilt that giving into that darkness was causing him. Kyoko grinned up at him, trying to blink back the tears in her own eyes.

"Then we both will be," she said before they took a few more breaths and both entered the restaurant.

…..

…..

Kuon smiled softly as he picked up his phone, "I'm just going to make a call," he said as he checked the time and Kyoko nodded. Kuon had already made a quick call in the middle of the day saying that he would call his parents and Isabella in the morning for them. She wanted to see her daughter but she was nervous. She had left Isabella as a baby and now she was a little girl, she had missed so many of her firsts and she had missed so much of her life.

Maybe her daughter wouldn't even want to see her and that scared Kyoko the most.

She understood Kuon's reasons for her not connecting with her daughter just yet and she agreed that it would be better to handle it face to face but she did long to see her little girl and she was sure that Kuon had done an amazing job raising her.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," she gestured and Kuon nodded, still amazed that he got to be with her again. Hopefully this wasn't a coma and he was going to wake up and she wouldn't be here anymore. He had already pinched himself a number of times to test whether this was a dream. If it was then he didn't want it to end.

Kyoko went to look at herself in the mirror and smiled. She had once thought it was the power of magic that made people tell her she looked beautiful but as she looked at herself she knew that it was true. As big of an ego as that might be, Kuon had convinced her that she was a beautiful person and she felt even more gorgeous when with him. She blushed as she took the makeup off and smiled at her reflection.

That was what she was most thankful for, the fact that he hadn't moved on from her and the way he had been loyal to her memory. She was able to be with the love of her life and that would always be worth coming back for.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Kuon sitting with a concerned look on his face as if he were trying to decide upon something. "Sweetheart?" she asked as she looked at him, "Corn, what is it? What's wrong?"

Kuon looked at her before smiling softly, "How would you feel about Isabella coming to Japan?"

Kyoko paused for a moment before tears came into her eyes again and she put a hand over her mouth, she nodded as she struggled to get any words out. That was something that she desperately wanted.

 **End of Chapter Nine**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter Eight**

Brennakai: Well there are different methods of parenting AND grandparenting and Isabella's parents and grandparents all want her happiness.

Guest: Well, I was saving it 😉 but I'm glad that you liked it

KrisXD: I hope that I didn't disappoint with this chapter then

Ktoll9: I still love the prince 😊 I think I always will

Mani: Hopefully that's good?


	10. Chapter 10 - Isabella

**AN:** Wow, twice in one day, but it is _really_ helping me to stay concentrated on just one story right now so thank you for your support and your patience with my other stories.

 **Trigger Warning:** Self-Harm

 **Chapter Ten : Isabella**

 _Julie took a step into the fashionable house that Kuon and Kyoko had bought together. It was a nice place and it definitely showed the wonderful life that they had planned to have together but that was part of its sadness now. She opened the door to see that some of the plants were wilting on the entry way and there was a general shakiness to the place._

 _She grabbed to Kuu's hand feeling that they weren't alone in there. "Kuon, honey?" Julie called out before seeing the man looking at her as if he were a ghost. Kuon's body was completely pale, he was shaking as the lack of sleep and a healthy diet was evident, and he was shaking._

" _H—hi, she's sleeping, I got her to sleep," Kuon said quickly as he ran a hand through his completely disheveled hair. "I gave her a bath and I got her her favorite toy and the bla-blanket and she's sleeping. I got her to sleep," he said as if he were about to fall over, his hand shaking against the wall as he looked at them._

" _Honey, you need to sit down," Julie said as she rushed towards her son and tried to wrap her arms around him but he took a few frightened steps backwards._

" _I ju-just…it's good to see you," he said as he looked between the two of them with wide eyes, "I mean th-thank you so much for coming," he tried to say with a Ren Tsuruga expression. "Isabella needs somebody here so…so you can take care, go and take care of her now, you can just take her away from me. She'll be safe away from me."_

" _Kuon, what are you talking about?" Kuu asked as he approached his terrified son. He reached out to take Kuon's shoulder before seeing the way he was looking at him._

" _Dad, she's gone. She's gone and it's just as - I killed her, I told her to go and do that drama because I thought…I thought that the director was good, we'd worked with him on Dark Moon, it was a good story, she had a character she liked. She might have done something different if I – her friend tried to persuade her not to do it but I wanted her to round out her acting career and I lost her. I killed her, Dad. You know that Rick was only out there because I lost control. He was supposed to be on a date with Tina – If I hadn't lost it or if Rick hadn't have come then they would have killed me and I was stupid enough, I was foolish enough to think that I deserved to get close to somebody," Kuon told them as he started shaking even more._

 _Julie looked at her son as she desperately wanted to hold him. Kuu looked down before seeing that Kuon was holding his wrist behind his back. He eyed him suspiciously whilst Julie looked at his expression and saw how deep the grief and pain of loss was within him._

" _Let me see your wrist," Kuu said as Julie looked at him before turning back to Kuon who looked shocked as well. How was his father able to notice that? Kuon shook his head but as Kuu continued to stare at him, Kuon reached forward and Julie saw the damage he had done to his wrist._

" _I just wanted to feel again….if my blood draws out then maybe she'll come back," he whispered and Julie looked down sadly. She didn't want her son to go back to how things were, he had taken so many steps away from that incident. Kyoko wouldn't have wanted him to go backwards in his recovery._

….

….

Kyoko smiled happily as she sat with the phone to her ear. She had originally planned to go shopping with Kanae but once she knew that Isabella was coming over to Japan she had wanted to move the date with Moko to after she had seen Isabella. However, Kanae had some work that would keep her busy until the evening and so Kyoko would be able to take Isabella out for lunch with Kuon. She was excited to see the young girl but nervous at the same time.

"I'll see you tonight, Moko," she smiled, "I love you," she giggled, "I'm allowed to love my friends," she said before putting the phone down and looked over at her husband who was wearing a cute long sleeve, high collar shirt and relaxed jeans. "So, what do I need to know about -"

"You don't need to worry about that, Isabella is a good person to get along with and you two are very alike," Kuon tried to reassure her but Kyoko kept looking at him and then looking down nervously. She was currently wearing a white blouse and pink shirt with the same pink coat on and with Princess Rosa around her neck after Kuon had given it to her the previous night.

"Kuon, just tell me one thing?" she asked and Kuon smiled.

"She knows Japanese but sometimes she refuses to talk in it so she thinks just she and I can understand the words. She loves to dance to different types of music, especially Disney songs. She loves princesses and her Barbie collection but she also loves exploring and is the keeper on her youth soccer team. She's really smart and asks a lot of questions and will make you find out the answer if she thinks you don't know it. She loves make up and dressing up but isn't afraid to get dirty. She loves to cook and she definitely inherited my father's stomach more than mine," he laughed as he thought about the little girl.

"You don't need to know much about her, she's a good girl, she just wants someone to love her," Kuon told his wife as he pulled her close to his chest. "Are you ready to go and see her?" he asked and Kyoko nodded with a smile.

"I'm just hoping that she'll like me," she said and Kuon laughed softly.

"She'll love you."

…..

…..

Lory looked at the little girl as she sat as politely as her mother always had when she had been working as an actress. He saw Kuu pacing around and then looked between them with a laugh. "Are you scared, Bella?" Lory asked and Kuu looked up, turning his attention back to his adorable granddaughter.

"I'm a little nervous," Bella said slowly as she spoke in Japanese trying to get the words right, "Is my Japanese speaking okay?" she asked and Lory gave her a thumbs up.

"Isabella's the best at so many things for her age," Kuu said as he walked over to the two of them. "Not only is she in the top percentile in terms of her intelligence, she excels on the sport field as well, her observational skills are top notch, she's beautiful which you can see for yourself, creative, wise, noble -"

"Just like your son?" Lory grinned at his old friend.

"Of course, having exceptional children is just another thing that Kuon got passed to him through me. I am his father after all and so my genes flow through him to Isabella making her one of the best children in California if not the world," Kuu bragged about the seven-year-old.

"Daddy's the best at everything," Isabella grinned with pride in her eyes, "Boss, don't you know that?" she asked with a grin.

Lory smiled at the loving family before hearing his phone ring, he went over to pick it up. "They're here," he said as Isabella shifted. She knew that everyone was telling her that she was going to meet somebody very important who her father would be accompanying but nobody had told her who. Kuu looked to Lory as he continued pacing, he was excited to see Kyoko as well and it wasn't just about the family getting reunited, he had really missed that girl and had been devastated when she had passed away.

After only a few moments, there was a knock on the door and Lory smiled as Kuon opened it with a weak smile though everyone could tell how much happier he was with her back with him. Kyoko entered the room before dropping into a bow and Kuon put a hand on her back as she stood up with tears in her eyes.

"Father," she gasped as she looked at Kuu and he tried to hold back some tears upon seeing her again.

"[Daddy]!" Bella yelled as she saw her father and then ran over to him, leaping into his arms. Kuon hugged her close to him as she hung onto him tightly. "[I'm so glad to see you, I missed you so much!]" she said quickly as she kissed his cheek and Kuon brought her close to him and then took a few steps backward from where he was kneeling.

"[Bella, I have some important news for you and I wanted to introduce you to somebody very very important to both of us,]" he said as he turned her gently so that she was looking at Kyoko who was trying to hold back the tears at seeing the tiny little girl.

Bella looked nervously at her mother before turning to Kuon, "[What? She looks just like - She's -]"

"[Bella, this is your mother,]" he told her as Bella looked at her stunned before her face was covered by tears and she ran up to Kyoko, wrapping her arms around her and pushing her head into Kyoko's chest as the former actress knelt opposite her and held her so close to her.

"[Mommy, I'm - I wanted – I]" Bella struggled before she paused and took a step back, "I'm sorr-rry," she said quickly, "Ja-Japanese, I should be-"

"[We can talk in whatever language you feel happiest with,]" Kyoko tried to soothe her daughter as she grinned at her with her eyes sparkling as she took in the small blond girl. She was so beautiful. She had Kuon's genes for that, or at least that's how Kyoko reasoned it. "[And you haven't done anything to be sorry about. I'm so happy that I get to meet you,]" Kyoko said as she looked at the little girl wanting nothing more than to take care of her and love her as she had when she had been a tiny baby.

"Don't you think she's processing this rather well?" Kuu asked Lory as he sighed.

"I'm not surprised though, this is the way that Kyoko deals with these things," Lory said as Isabella looked towards her father wanting him to explain what was going on between them.

"[How are you here?]" Isabella asked as she tried to wipe away her tears with her arm but Kyoko kissed the top of her head and took out her own handkerchief to help her with her tears.

Kuon watched Kyoko open her mouth and then struggle to come up with the right words to say, "[You remember when we watched Snow White together, Bella]" he said slowly and Isabella nodded. "[Well Snow White was in a coffin made of glass until the prince's kiss, well that's what happened with Mommy as well or something very close,]" he said and Bella took a deep breath in as that thought went through her mind.

"[I get it,]" Bella smiled, "[She got frozen by a curse but you saved her, Daddy]" she reasoned and Kuon gave her a thumbs up and a nod. Kyoko laughed at the interaction before letting her hand go through Isabella's hair again.

After a moment, Isabella grinned and went to her backpack, "[Daddy told me lots of stories about you,]" she told her mother before showing her a bound picture book.

"[You can thank my mother for the illustrations,]" Kuon laughed as Kyoko's smile further increased as she looked through the book. "[She made about twenty of these books for Bella.]"

Kyoko smiled as she looked at the cover and then the pictures inside. The story was of a stubborn prince who was experiencing his first cold and he just wanted to do the work that he needed to do as prince of the kingdom and he insisted he couldn't rest so the fairy princess Kyoko had to step in to help him until he got better including making the prince drink energy revitalizing drinks that tasted bad but helped.

"[Grandma did the pictures,]" Isabella tried to explain, "[but Daddy told me the story. Daddy tells me lots of stories,]" she announced as Kyoko tried to keep her sobs of joy in.

"Thank you," she whispered in Japanese before Isabella hugged her again.

…..

…

 _Julie held Isabella close to her as she gave her the bottle despite how the small baby was trying to get over to her father and screaming for her mother who wasn't going to be coming back. Julie sat down with her granddaughter as she tried to keep her sobs from overpowering her._

" _Come on, Izzy," she said as she hugged her tight, "You sit over here with Grandma. Daddy will be okay, Grandpa's taking good care of him," she said though she didn't want the little girl to see the wound to which Kuu was treating._

 _Once he had it all bandaged, Kuu sighed and looked at his son. "Listen to me carefully, we can do this as quietly as possible," he said as he tried to make eye contact with Kuon, "Do you need to be taken to the hospital or was this a one-off?" he asked and Kuon opened his mouth._

" _I'm fine," he whispered and Kuu put a hand to his forehead and sighed._

" _Kuon, you have to think here. You're a huge celebrity here but you have to be careful, if people think you're not handling it, they might try to stop you from being a father. They might think you're unfit to take care of Bella, is that what you want?" Kuu asked in a very direct manner trying to speak realistically with his son about what was right._

" _I want Kyoko," Kuon whispered, "I wish I could just switch places with her, Dad."_

" _But you can't," Kuu said as Julie looked at him uncomfortably, "I'm sorry, you can't. If you go to seek help right now then we have a defense but if the media wants to spin an article around this then there's a chance you could be seen as an unfit parent and -"_

 _Kuon looked down and took a few deep breaths, he wrapped his arms around himself. "I need help," he whispered as tears filled his eyes and Julie reached out for him but Kuu took a few deep breaths. "Kotonami-san's saying that I'm the reason she's dead, she's right, I'm the one who -"_

" _You didn't kill anybody!" Julie said as she struggled to maintain her composure and Kuon shook harder as he broke down further. "You didn't hurt her. You're not responsible for this," she tried to tell him but the words didn't seem to sink into him._

" _We'll figure this out with Lory, everything at the most confidential but -" Kuu put a hand on Kuon's shoulders. "You have to think about what's important. You have to think about staying alive…for her."_

" _She's the only reason I can…" Kuon whispered as he struggled not to think of himself as the world's most useless parent. Isbaella needed her mother, not him, but the last thing he wanted was for her to get taken away. He had to get help for her sake._

 **End of Chapter Ten**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Nine**

Ashenvale: - gasp – but I had to keep it T rated 😉

Ktoll9: and I think that he had class whilst doing it, thank you 😊

Mani: Thank you 😊

Nu2: I'm glad you like it and I hope I didn't disappoint


	11. Chapter 11 - Apple Sorbet

**AN:** I'm planning on updating a couple of fics this afternoon but right now I hope you enjoy this one. Thanks so much for all of your support.

 **Chapter Eleven – Apple Sorbet**

Kuon smiled to his girls as they looked around the shopping center he had taken them to. There was still some time before Kyoko was set to meet Kanae and shopping seemed like a fun way to spend time together before they went to lunch. Kyoko was excited to spend time with Isabella who was holding tight to her Daddy's hand. "[So, Isabella,]" she said nervously, "[What kind of things do you like shopping for? Daddy told me that you love fashion.]"

"[Yeah]" Isabella nodded as she looked up at her dad, "[Can we get ice cream?]" she asked and Kuon smiled to her.

"[As long as you don't force me to eat it,]" he winked at her and Isabella shook her head before looking at Kyoko. She opened her mouth to speak and then shook her head. Kyoko looked at her curiously and then smiled.

"[I love ice cream,]" she said before looking at Kuon, "[My friend, Moko, and I have gone to try different ice cream flavors in the past.]"

Isabella nodded to that and her eyes widened as Kuon leaned across to kiss Kyoko's cheek. She saw him smiling at her affectionately and Isabella brought her dad's hand to her own lips to kiss it. Kuon smiled back at her and Isabella grinned.

"[Daddy lets _me_ kiss his hand,]" she said as she looked at Kuon and he nodded to her. "[Mommy came back like Snow White, right Daddy?]" she asked and Kuon nodded.

"[Just like Snow White]" he replied and stopped in a corner near the ice cream shop. "[So, shall we go in?]" he asked before looking at Kyoko and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "[Have I told you that you look beautiful?]" he asked her as Isabella's eyes widened.

"[I look beautiful too. Daddy always says that I'm pretty,]" Isabella spoke loudly and Kyoko turned to her daughter and nodded quickly.

"[Daddy's right, you are very beautiful inside and out. You have Daddy's genes,]" she winked and Isabella stuck her tongue out whilst Kuon turned his head to kiss Kyoko again. Although Kuon didn't see it, Kyoko did.

"[You don't,]" she whispered and Kyoko paused. Was Kuon hearing this? Isabella pulled on Kuon's hand as she broke the kiss for them "[Daddy, can I pick our ice cream flavors. Daddy always lets me pick the ice cream,]" she said and Kyoko nodded.

"[Okay, Daddy]" Isabella smiled as she started to tug Kuon into the shop. She smiled as everyone seemed to take notice of her famous father and he told them that he was fine standing in the line like everybody else. Her daddy always took care of everyone else but he had told Isabella that she was his special princess, she didn't want to lose that spot in his life. This was the first woman who her daddy had acted this way towards.

"Kuon-sama," the server whispered as it was their time to pick, "It's such an honor to meet you. Please let the ice cream be on the house, what ice cream did you want."

"You don't need to do that, I'm very happy to pay," Kuon said quickly before looking at Isabella and picked him up in his arms. Isabella clung on tight to him. "So, what will it be?" he asked his daughter and Isabella looked at the flavors.

"Could I please have the princess sundae?" she asked and then looked to the other flavors, "Daddy will have one scoop of the mocha and then Mommy will have…" Isabella hummed before her eyes lit up, "The apple sorbet."

Kyoko looked at her daughter suspiciously before smiling, "[That sounds really delicious]" she said as Isabella looked away from her and pressed a kiss to Kuon's cheek. Kyoko couldn't help but to tie the ice cream flavors that Isabella had picked for them to her earlier question about Snow White. No, she was being ridiculous. Her daughter had seemed to be so happy that she was there, she wouldn't indirectly tell her to go away.

Kyoko stood turning the facts over in her head before she felt Kuon touch her shoulder.

"Are you okay, princess?" he asked her in Japanese as he looked over at her concerned. Kyoko blinked before nodding quickly.

"I'm ready, let's go eat before the ice cream mel-" she said but was interrupted by her daughter.

"I can speak Japanese too. Daddy taught me how to speak it really well. Daddy also taught me Russian," she said as Kyoko opened her mouth to say something but Isabella turned towards her father. "когда мама встречает своего друга? (When does Mom meet her friend?)" she asked and Kuon beamed at her as he took the tray of ice creams to one of the tables.

"[Mommy's going to have dinner with her friend and you and I are going to have dinner together so tell me later what you feel like eating,]" Kuon grinned as he ran his fingers through Isabella's long blonde hair.

"Изабелла, ваш русский изумительный. Это так здорово, что вы знаете все разные языки. Ваш папа научил вас хорошо. (Isabella, your Russian is amazing. It's so cool that you know all the different languages. Your dad taught you well.)" Kyoko said as she looked at the little girl whose eyes had widened not expecting that.

"[I tried to,]" Kuon laughed before he put Bella down on the ground so that she could pick which seat she sat out. She pushed two of the chairs close together and pointed to one.

"[Daddy, you sit here,]" she said as she tried to push Kuon into the seat and then pointed to the one furthest away from the two of them. She looked up at Kyoko, "[You can sit there,]" she said and Kuon tilted his head confused.

"[I thought you were happy that Mommy was back with us,]" he said as he tried to figure out why his daughter was acting this way. They usually never had trouble with other people but it seemed like Isabella was acting possessive over him. Was that just his imagination? He sat down where she had told him to after putting the ice creams down on the table. "[You've been speaking a lot of languages today, Bella.]" Kuon commented as Bella seemed to latch onto him instead of focusing on her ice cream. "[Great job. You always make me so proud of you.]"

Isabella smiled happily, "[I like making Daddy happy the most,]" she said as Kyoko saw the intent way that Isabella was watching Kyoko went to eat her ice cream. She took a deep breath in as Kyoko put a spoonful to her mouth and waited to see what would happen. A sad look came over her face as Kyoko took another bite without anything happening to her. "[Daddy, I think Mommy needs to have some apple juice.]" Isabella told him as Kuon turned to Kyoko.

"Is that what you want, princess," he asked in Japanese as Isabella's eyes widened.

"[Yes. She's thirsty and needs apple juice,]" Bella told him whilst ignoring her ice cream and clutching tightly onto her dad.

"[That sounds nice,]" Kyoko smiled to her daughter, "[Thank you, Bella, that's very nice of you. How about you get some Kuon and Bella and I will eat together]" she suggested and Kuon nodded before standing up and walking off with Bella not able to follow after him.

Kyoko looked at her daughter and smiled softly, "[Bella, I'm really sorry if you're angry with me. You have every right to be but please understand that I would never leave you on purpose. I got into an accident and Daddy saved me because he's a hero. You love your dad, don't you?]"

Bella nodded, "[You'll hurt him if you don't leave,]" she whispered and Kyoko paused before sighing.

"[Bella, I would never want to hurt your father. You care about him very much, don't you?]" Kyoko asked and Bella nodded again. "[I care about him too and I want him to be happy. I love it when your dad smiles and when he sounds energetic. I don't want him to be sad or feel lonely anymore.]"

"[Daddy doesn't feel lonely,]" Bella said quickly, "[He has me and he has Grandma and Grandpa. Whenever Daddy's upset, I hug him and he feels better and when he really gets upset, he calls Grandma and Grandpa because he says he's scared about going be-zer-k,]" she said as she sounded out the word.

Kyoko smiled softly, "[Before I got frozen, I used to help Daddy with those things too. Daddy sometimes doesn't like himself very much and he feels guilty about lots of things but I think having you as a daughter makes him feel really happy. It's like when you come out of a hot bath, you feel warm and calm because you've recharged from the hot water. Your dad loves you and I'm not going to be able to take your place in his heart but Daddy also has a separate and still special place for me in his heart.]" Kyoko told her and Isabella looked down and nodded.

"[How about if we make a special team?]" Kyoko asked as she held out her pinky finger to Isabella, "[We can make the keep Daddy smiling team. It'll be our special team where we make sure that Daddy isn't lonely or scared or sad and we can help each other take care of him.]"

Isabella looked nervously up at her mother, "[You won't take ad-van-tage of him like the other women, right?]" she asked and Kyoko couldn't help but see the similarities between her own daughter and how Maria was when she was overprotective of Ren.

"[Of course not,]" Kyoko said, "[but we're going to have to help each other with this task since it's a very very important task.]" Kyoko smiled as Isabella reached out her pinky and linked it around Kyoko's She smiled as Kuon returned with the apple juice.

"[What are my princesses discussing?]" he asked as he saw the two of them with their linked pinkeys. "[Does Daddy get to know?]" he grinned to them and Isabella shook her head.

"[It's a secret between me and Mommy, we can't tell you Daddy. It's our secret task force.]" Isabella said quickly as Kyoko smiled looking between them. She was hoping that by making this team, she could enter her daughter's heart and they could live together as a family.

"[Aww,]" Kuon said as he looked disappointed and pouted before using his puppy dog eyes, "[I don't get to be a part of it. I want to be on a secret taskforce too.]"

"[This is just between Bella and I]" Kyoko told him as Bella nodded happily.

"[Wow, it must be a really secret and special taskforce if I'm not allowed to be on it? Are you sure you can't tell me, Bella? I want to know,]" he said as Kyoko knew that he was trying to play with Bella using his acting skills. Bella laughed at this and shook her head.

"[No. Mommy doesn't want apple juice. Mommy we should do a special mission,]" she said excitedly before jumping down and going over to Kyoko before kneeling next to her and whispering in her ear. "[Mommy, I think Daddy needs something to drink too. Let's go get him something.]"

Kyoko's face lit up with excitement, "[That's a great mission, let's go and do it right now,]" she said before looking at Kuon. "We'll be right back," she said before taking Bella's hand and going back to stand in line with her.

Kuon watched them as he started to eat his own ice cream. He didn't know what was going on between the two of them but they had started bonding without him so hopefully they were going to get along. That's what he wanted for the both of them. He had had to be strong all alone for Bella whilst he knew how much she had needed her mother.

As he watched them and slowly ate the ice cream, he heard someone approach him and heard a voice that he very much disliked.

"This isn't your country anymore, Hizuri."

 **End of Chapter Eleven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Ten**

Ashenvale: I'm glad you enjoyed it, yes sometimes I get really wrapped up in a story 😊

Guest: I'm really happy you enjoyed the chapters

Kris XD: Well hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as well even if Bella was very possessive of her dad.

Nu2: Sometimes you just feel the need to update 😊 (plus no retail work yesterday so just school)


	12. Chapter 12 - Behind a Smile

**AN:** I really do want to work on some other fics for you guys as well but between trying to pass one of my classes and doing my work shifts, it gets to be somewhat tiring so thanks for bearing with me.

 **Chapter Twelve – Behind a Smile**

Kuon laughed to himself as he put the spoon down in the ice cream and looked behind him at the blond who had been his rival for a while before he had moved. This guy hadn't really entered his mind for about five years or so but of course he'd pop up now.

"Hello, Fuwa," he said as he lifted an eyebrow, "Tracked me down? Should I say that I'm honored you're so interested in talking to me. I thought you got replaced by some newer acts in these years since we've not met."

Sho stared at him and looked away. "Haven't been replaced, it's just their music's different," he said and Kuon nodded slowly as he gave him a pitying look. Sho had seemed to sink in the ratings for music even before Kyoko's passing. He had struggled to get with the new times, what was considered popular, but he hadn't been able to. He still released albums but the people who followed him were older than the youth demographic that the media concentrated on.

"Right," Kuon nodded, "That's exactly what's missing. Well, I don't want to ruin the third day that I get to spend with my wife so would you please screw off?" he asked and instead Sho took a seat and Kuon rolled his eyes.

"You think I don't know who you really are underneath that façade? I read all of the news articles and watched the documentaries about you. I know who you were in America." Sho told him and Kuon gave a dramatic sigh.

"Let's say that you're the kind of stalker that I definitely wasn't hoping to attract," he replied. He looked up at the sky and smiled, "and so what? I have a past that you don't because I've taken more risks than you have. I've learned how to -"

"And that thing three years ago?" Sho said as Kuon froze and his back straightened, "I bet that you haven't told Kyoko about that but your parents paid to keep it from spreading. Still, there was that one blog post."

"Is that how closely you've been stalking me?" Kuon said as he gave an over-dramatic shiver, "Now I'm feeling goosebumps," he said before seeing Kyoko come back with Isabella and her face turned to one of shock.

Sho also moved awkwardly as he studied this woman who he had thought had died. This was weird, seeing her so young but the age difference between her and her husband might allow him to swoop in and snatch her off of him especially after his divorce. He reached out to touch her but she side stepped so he wouldn't be able to touch her. "Ky-Kyoko?"

"[Why don't you give Daddy his drink?]" she said as Isabella came up to Kuon with a small black coffee. Kyoko eyed Sho carefully before she put down a vanilla shake and a strawberry shake. "Sho, wow, you've definitely aged," she laughed weakly. "How are you?"

"He's great," Kuon replied before Sho could get any words out of his mouth. "Maybe we should finish our ice creams and get far away from annoying bugs."

"Uh…sure," Kyoko nodded as she didn't take her eyes off of the twenty-eight-year-old who was making her feel more conspicuous. "Yeah…"

"[Is this your friend, Daddy?]" Isabella asked as she studied Sho, she grinned before bowing, "Hi, I'm Isabella Hizuri, it's nice to meet you."

Sho rolled his eyes, "I guess even psychopaths have kids these days," he said and Kyoko's eyes snapped open. Unable to control herself she put her hand up as if to slap him but then controlled herself and put it down.

"As interested as I am to talk and find out what's going on in your life," Kyoko said honestly, "I don't let anyone talk that way about my husband in front of our daughter. I've never been able to. I'd very much like you to leave," she said as Sho opened his mouth.

"I want to talk to you too" Sho told her honestly before leaning in closer to her, "If you had heard what he has done," he said as Kuon shifted again and looked down. He hadn't meant for that to have happened. He hadn't meant to relapse like that and he knew how much it had scared Isabella that he had done that but the idea of turning thirty without Kyoko by his side had been the cause for a string of decisions he would regret.

"You make it sounds like I murdered somebody," Kuon said bitterly as he drank a sip of coffee.

"Tried to," Sho said, "According to that doctor's blog page,"

Kyoko looked between them and then took a deep breath, her back straightening, "Whatever Kuon did or didn't do, it doesn't ma-"

Ignoring Kyoko, Kuon looked at his rival, "Suicide is different than murder," he said as Kyoko looked at him terrified. She hadn't expected that and she felt as if her ground had shaken as Isabella had tears in her eyes. What had been going on? She wrapped her arms around Bella.

"Leave," Kyoko whispered as her eyes showed that she wasn't willing to negotiate about this. She didn't want to talk about it when it obviously upset people. She glared at Sho again, "Did you lose your hearing?" she asked as her anger came out in her eyes, "Leave."

Sho opened his mouth before shrugging and walking off and Kyoko saw the guilt and shame that Kuon had been carrying around with him. She reached out for his hand and held it whilst looking up at him lovingly, one arm around Isabella who was shaking.

"Hopefully you won't feel like that again," she told him not wanting to hear such an upsetting story but if he wanted to tell her, she would give him her full attention and listen carefully to each word that came out of his mouth. Kuon looked to her sadly and tried to smile through the pain.

"Thank you," he said slightly paler than before.

…..

…..

 _Bella didn't know who that man had been when she and her daddy were looking at dresses the other day. She knew that the man was speaking Japanese to him but she hadn't practiced enough to really catch the words. The dark look on his creepy face gave her shivers and she had caught the words Ren and Tsuruga which were names her daddy had used in Japan and then the words Kyoko and mother and dead. So, this was a Japanese man who looked like a demon talking about Tsuruga acting bad which meant her mother wasn't there._

 _The four-year-old sighed as she pushed her back to the wall of the school building. Her daddy always met her on time or he would tell her that someone else was meeting her. He hadn't said that he wouldn't be meeting her but he wasn't here. The four-year-old smiled awkwardly up at her preschool teacher._

" _Where's Daddy?" the teacher asked in a soft tone as she approached the young girl. "Maybe he got caught up in a fun project or maybe he's doing such amazing scenes at his work that -"_

 _There was a knock on the door which made the teacher stand and go over._

" _Daddy?" Isabella asked as she looked up with hopeful eyes but then froze as she saw her grandfather standing there. He didn't look well and it was scary. It was like in those sad movies and Isabella didn't like it. She loved when she got to spend time with her granddad but she had a feeling that things weren't okay._

" _Mr. Hizuri," the teacher said as she studied him, "Is something wrong? Isabella, look, your grandpa came."_

" _Hey, Bella," Kuu smiled to the little girl as he looked extremely troubled._

" _Grandpa, where's Daddy?" the little girl asked._

" _Let's go home, Bella. Daddy gave me the special job of looking after you today," he said before taking some chocolate from his pocket, "Grandma bought me this from when she did her modelling shoot in Germany. I thought we could share it," he tried to persuade the little girl. Kuu turned to the teacher once Isabella had run to take his hand and put her coat on. "Thank you so much for staying with her," he thanked the woman. "It's…the situation has been handled so I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience on you."_

" _Oh, don't worry about it, we have lots of parents who get tied up at work and Kuon is always coming here with a lot of positive energy. I know it's hard to do that sometimes as a single father," she commented and Kuu nodded._

" _For the next couple of days, it's going to be either myself or my wife who meets Bella here," Kuu tried to inform the teacher. "Thank you again." He grinned to Bella, "Come on, sweetheart, let's go home. We can cook together and then we can play with your princess costumes," he said as Isabella nodded and said goodbye to her teacher._

… _.._

… _.._

"Are you two going to be okay?" Kyoko asked as Kuon and Isabella walked her to the restaurant where she and Kanae were going to be having dinner. Kuon had told Isabella that her mother needed time with her friend and that the two of them would see her later. Isabella had asked to go to dinner with Kyoko but Kuon had told her that sometimes two friends needed to have a private meal.

"We're going to be just fine," Kuon told her with a smile and Kyoko kissed his cheek.

"Forget about what that idiot said. I love you, Corn, and remember," she whispered, "you once said that I knew you better than anybody. I still want that to be the case even with all this time between us," she said as Kuon nodded slowly.

"I love you too," he said before seeing Kanae there and dropped into a bow which Isabella copied. "Kotonami-san," he said as she stared at him and shifted uncomfortably.

"You're the woman Mommy calls Moko, right?" Isabella asked with a wide smile. Kanae opened her mouth to say something but Isabella continued to speak in Japanese, "Daddy told me lots and lots of stories about how amazing you are. He told me that you and Mommy had good adventures together and you worked in the Love Me section. Daddy always speaks highly of you."

Kanae looked at Kuon in shock, completely taken aback by that, "He…does?"

"Yeah, he says how important Mommy was-is to you and you are to Mommy," Isabella continued as Kanae had a look of guilt over her face.

"He does?" she asked and looked at the husband and father who had come over and taken the small seven-year-old's hand. "You're Isabella, right?"

"Yes," Kuon nodded, "Bella and I were just walking Kyoko here. It's nice to see that you're doing well, Kotonami-san," he said formally before smiling to his daughter. "Why don't we wish Mommy has a good meal and go find some food for ourselves?"

"Okay," Isabella said, "It was really nice to meet you."

Kuon smiled before kissing Kyoko's cheek, "Call me if you want us to meet you," he told her before grinning to Kanae. "Have a good meal." He turned to leave and Kanae felt herself twitch as he and Isabella started to walk away.

"Kuon!" Kanae called out which caused the blond to turn and look at her as he stopped. "About-you know, I'm really…I didn't…I mean I…"

Kuon laughed softly, "It's okay. I understand," he nodded. "The past is in the past and I don't hold it against you. Have a good meal."

"You too," Kanae said as she looked shocked that he had just seemed to move on from how cruel she had been to him.

…..

…..

 _A few days later, Isabella came home to see her Daddy's shoes by the front door. She hadn't seen her father for about three days and her grandfather had said something about seventy-two hours. She didn't know what that meant but Grandma had told her that it was about three days so it was good that her dad had come back._

 _Isabella rushed excitedly to his room before Julie could stop her._

 _When Isabella knocked on the door, it felt strange not to get a response but she pushed the door open anyway. She froze as she saw that her father had cocooned himself in his bed. He was wrapped up in the blankets and covers and she couldn't see him. She frowned. Her dad would usually welcome her back with open arms and he would tell her she looked beautiful and that she was intelligent and kind and he would try to find something for them to eat._

 _Her dad always brought a lot of happiness into the house. This wasn't like him._

" _Daddy?" Isabella asked. When she didn't get a response, she climbed up on the bed next to him and put a hand on the lump in the bed. She saw him move a little and then roll over to look at her. Bella pulled back as she saw his face. Her daddy didn't cry but it looked as if his eyes were red with bags under them. Her daddy always had a happy expression in front of her but it was as if he hadn't smiled in years. She didn't know why her daddy looked so sad and tired._

" _Hi, Bella," he whispered as if the words were painful for him to say. He reached out to her and Bella noticed that his wrist had a lot of bandages on it. She stayed frozen as her father tucked a strand of hair behind her ear looking like a ghost. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you," he apologized as Bella blinked. This didn't look like her normal daddy. "I should have been there for you."_

" _Bella," Julie said as she stood at the doorway, "Your daddy needs some rest, why don't we play together?" she asked as Bella looked between her father and her grandmother._

 _Bella looked at her dad again, he didn't seem right, all of this didn't seem right. She threw her arms around the clump that was her father's body, "I love you, Daddy," she said as she kissed his cheek and saw her dad give a slight smile._

" _I love you too, Bella," he whispered, "I'm so sorry I tried to leave you. I wo-n't do it a-again," he apologized as Julie pulled Bella off the bed and took her hand._

 _When they were outside and the door was closed, Bella looked at her grandmother. "Why is Daddy sorry? Why was his hand hurt?" she asked before Julie crouched down next to her and brought her close to her body._

" _Why don't we pretend that we're in a spa today?" she asked, "Grandma will pretend to give you spa treatment," she said and Bella knew from her face that those questions were not going to be answered._

 **End of Chapter Twelve**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Eleven**

Ashenvale: Well, Bella doesn't hate Kyoko, she just adores Kuon.

Brennakai: I think that we can. Thank you 😊

Kris XD: Well of course, Bella loves her father and I think you were right 😉

Ktoll9: Bella is very creative 😉

Paulagato: That's correct, just like Snow White. Isabella doesn't hate Kyoko though, she just loves her Daddy so much that she doesn't want him taken away from her.

RichkeyZero: Thank you for reading it 😊


	13. Chapter 13 - It's Too Late

**AN:** Hope you enjoy. Trigger warning for more suicidal thinking.

 **Chapter Thirteen – It's Too Late**

Soon after they had dropped Kyoko off for her dinner, Kuon had received a call from Kuu that he had been given a lot of food from an old friend that he was visiting and asked if they wanted to share it with him. It was obvious that Kuu was worried about Kuon but they had gone to the slightly larger hotel room at the same hotel that he and Kyoko were at.

Kuon had asked if he could watch the TV to clear his head and Kuu had gone to put the spread of traditional Japanese dishes out. Isabella had helped him with the plates and she was currently playing with her sketchpad and stuffed piggy.

Kuu smiled as she seemed to be drawing a comic using the pig as the main characters in both male and female roles. He laughed at her creativity before looking over at his son. He had trained himself in keeping note of Kuon's behavior and his son didn't seem to be alright.

"What are we watching?" he asked as Kuon stared at the screen where Kanae was starring as the main character's sister. Kuu hesitated as he saw this and then looked back to Isabella who wasn't paying attention. "Isn't this -"

"I'm watching it, Dad," Kuon said as his eyes were glued to the screen.

Kuu reached over very slowly to take the remote. Kuon just didn't look okay, natural wasn't the word that Kuu wanted to use to describe it when it felt more intense. Kuon's eyes were directed towards the screen but he didn't seem to be engaging with it, his body looked as if it were suffering from a terminal illness and the expression and exhaustion on his face were of someone who had just run home a very long way in conditions with a lot of rain and a lot of wind.

To be concise, Kuon Hizuri did not look okay.

"I thought that I would love Kenji, no matter what, but he's just so old now."

"That's what comes from twenty years in a coma," Kanae said with a sigh. "You married Kenji when you were a teenager. Of course he's going to be different. Take it from me, you'd both be better off moving on from one another."

"How did my little sister get so smart,"

"It's not that I'm smart, it's that I want what's best for you, for both of you. Too much time has gone by and he's being selfish in trying to for-"

"Kuon," Kuu said sharply to try to get his son's attention, "Kuon, I hate to treat you like a little kid but I really feel that you need to turn off the TV right now. Give me the remote, there has to be some game show on now, there's always a game show on when it comes to Japanese TV."

"Do you really think Kenji is hurting Naoko, Dad?" Kuon asked as he held the remote closer to him. "He's being selfish, he was the reason that she entered that coma, he was the reason why she got hurt and Rinoa's right," he said as if caught in a trance. "There's too much time. He's hurting her,"

"Kuon…" Kuu said as even Isabella looked around because of the strict sounding way that he had spoken to her dad, "Give me the remote. I know that you're a grown man but you need to give me the remote right now," he said with his hand out and a very severe look in his eyes.

"So-Sorry," Kuon whispered as he looked down and took some deep breaths, "Yes, the remote," he said before handing it to his father who found a random episode of Doraemon which Isabella came to watch. Kuon reached down to his pocket and his phone buzzed, he picked it up and smiled at it as Kuu looked at his own watch.

"Kyoko had a short dinner, maybe she's tired but she's asking me to pick her up," Kuon said as he stood. "Can you do me a huge favor, Dad?" he asked as Kuu watched him trying to determine whether he was acting or not. He didn't seem to be.

"Okay, I can take care of Bella whilst you meet Kyoko," Kuu told him before looking down. He didn't want to be an overprotective father but he wanted to know if what Kuon was saying Kyoko had told him was something that she had actually said. It just seemed far too much of a convenience that Kyoko had texted him before Kuon had had a chance to calm down from the drama that he was watching. He debated on the issue as Kuon got his coat and shoes on.

"You'll be safe right?" he asked before Kuon went over to Bella and hugged her for a little longer than usual, his face somewhat blank. "You'll take care of yourself?" Kuu asked desperately and Kuon nodded.

"Sure, Dad," he said before leaving.

As Kuon looked down at his phone, a sad expression came over his face. There wasn't a text message on there but Rinoa had said it best, Kenji had done nothing but hurt Naoko and Naoko definitely deserved better.

….

….

Kyoko smiled as she sat with Kanae whilst they enjoyed their meal. Kanae had been telling her all about the acting roles that she had had which made Kyoko a little bit envious of her. The younger woman definitely wasn't regretting her decision to step back from acting so that she could fulfill the duties of a loving wife and mother but she did wonder how her career would have changed in the past six years.

"You should consider staying here," Kanae said with a slight pout, "The idea of going to America when you've always been planning on living –"

"Kuon's really excited about his new role," Kyoko told her with a laugh, "I know that it might sound as if I'm going to follow my prince again and that I might be doing a lot for his benefit instead of going out independently and getting roles but Kuon is so much different than Sho."

"What's his role again?" Kanae said with a softer look, "Captain America or something?"

"The Green Arrow, he's not as well known but I want to read the comic books that Kuon has. I think that because it has a lot of acting but he's a generally good guy that it will match Kuon very well. I love when he's doing work that he enjoys because - well, he just has a lot of positive energy," Kyoko smiled as she thought about when they were just married and Kuon had had a role that he loved. He was always so supportive of her and so loving when it came to her that she wanted to make sure he was acknowledged as well.

"Kuon's given up a lot for me over the years, I know that if I asked to stay in Japan that he'd uproot both his and Bella's lives to do it but this is about what's best for us as a family," Kyoko said before taking a sip of her drink. "I really hope that I'm not too young for him and his friends."

"Aren't Americans into that though?" Kanae asked as she ate another bite of her salad, "Older men being with younger women."

Kyoko shrugged with a slight laugh, "So, I'll be his younger woman. He's the same Kuon but with an older body, he's still him underneath all of the layers," she said before her phone buzzed and she frowned. This was a temporary phone that they had bought that day for when she was still in Japan but there weren't a lot of people who would be calling her.

"I'm sorry, Moko," Kyoko said as she took the phone out and her eyes widened a little. "Kuu-sama?" she asked herself as she read the number on the phone. "I'm so sorry, Moko," Kyoko said as she stood and bowed to her. "Is it okay if I take this? I know that Kuu is aware I'm at dinner and he wouldn't call me unless it was an emergency."

Kanae smiled, "Go ahead," she said as Kyoko went to outside the building to take the phone call.

"Father?" she asked as she answered the phone, her expression was one of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Kyoko, can I ask you not to tell Kuon about this phone call?" Kuu asked and Kyoko felt that there was a lot of panic hidden in his voice. Had something happened? Had she done something that upset Kuon that he would only be comfortable telling his father about?

"Sure," Kyoko said as she sat down on a nearby bench.

"Did you text Kuon to come and meet you?" he asked as Kyoko paused and looked at the ground confused.

"No, it took us a while to get seated and then the order took a while to prepare but I'm still at the restaurant," Kyoko said as she wondered why Kuu would be saying that. She had a flash of her dream in her head, Kuon taking the hand of another woman and running off to be with her instead. She shook her head. No, Kuon wouldn't be doing that, she had to trust more in his character than her own insecurities.

"Thank you, please call me if you see him" Kuu said before hanging up on her and Kyoko looked in shock at the phone. She felt an odd twist in her stomach and walked back into the restaurant. She looked down at the table as she tried to figure everything out.

"What was that?" Kanae asked as Kyoko looked ahead of her at her salmon.

"Something's not right," Kyoko whispered, "Something doesn't feel right."

…..

…..

"What are you talking about?" Lory asked a member of the LME security team as they stood in their office. "How on earth could someone breach security? I thought that you were all experts in your job field. Do I actually have to make an audition round for agency security now, that does sound like a fun idea though. Maybe later."

"Sir, we don't know how it happened," one of the men said, "but we do know that there is somebody on the roof. We don't know how they got past security."

"Do you have an eye on whoever got up there?" Lory asked as he rubbed his chin. This person would definitely score themselves an audition form with this flair and love for the dramatics. There were people who would dream of doing those fantastic leaps and bounds across city buildings and he wanted to know how this daredevil got up there.

"We're employing people to go up there right now," the man said again before calling in, "Matsushima," he said on the device, "Do you have -"

"We have an identity," the man responded as Lory raised an eyebrow trying to decide whether these people were really this useless at doing their jobs, "You will never guess who it is. Hizu-"

Before they could get another word out, Lory was headed immediately for the stairs. What was that boy thinking of? What was going on in his head? He had finally got his wife back and now he was acting stupidly enough to go and sit on the roof to think? Lory paused as he started to run and his heart beat faster. There was only one reason Kuon Hizuri would be on the roof that high up without a film crew around him and it was definitely not an act of terrorism.

As Lory made his way up there, he saw Kuon standing on the edge of the very tall building.

"Kuon?" Lory asked with a shaky voice as he gestured to his staff to stand down and just let him approach the man who appeared as if he were about to jump. He saw the blond turn to look at him and noticed how shaky he was. "Hey, I've got some of that tea that you like if you want to come down and talk about it."

Kuon shook his head, his eyes wide and Lory looked at him again. He noticed the way he was closing his eyes and as much as he wanted to run forward and tackle him, Lory knew that Kuon had ways of getting out of that, he was quicker than nearly anyone Lory had ever known.

"It's too late," the blond told him as Lory stood there, slowly making his way towards him so as to not startle him. "It's too late. She'll be happier now, both of them will be happier now."

"How can _this_ make them happy, Kuon?" Lory asked as he raised an eyebrow, "Surely you don't think that Kyoko will be happier without you. Isabella definitely wouldn't be ha-"

"I just want them to be happy and now they can be," Kuon said as he took one foot off the ledge and looked at the busy street below. "I'm sorry that I was such a disappointment to the agency," he said before closing his eyes and letting his body go from the building into the dark abyss below him.

"Kuon!"

 **End of Chapter Thirteen**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Twelve**

Ashenvale: Yes, it is very sad

Brennakai: Glad you liked the chapter, Kanae is definitely feeling more at ease with the past now

KrisXD: I hope that the emotion in this chapter wasn't too much

Ktoll9: Aww, that's such a cute analogy

Paulagato: Well, we'll have to see the outcome of those results.


	14. Chapter 14 - It's Better than Jumping

**AN:** Part of me wanted to leave you guys for four months with that being the cliffhanger but I decided to update soon so you didn't die of anticipation 😉 hope you enjoy, there's a treat for you at the end.

 **Chapter Fourteen – It's Better Than Jumping**

"Kuon!" Kyoko yelled as tears cascaded down her cheeks and she wrapped both of her hands tightly around the one of Kuon's that she had just grabbed. She took deep breaths trying to use all her strength to hold him and fight against the fear. She always knew she could access speed and accuracy and strength when she needed it, it was her hidden ability.

With a glare she turned around to Lory who was trying to blink through the shock so he could get Kuon up onto the top of the building. Kyoko looked at her husband as she tried to breathe, her eyes filled with tears. She didn't know how she had come here but it was as if something inside of her was pulling her to come here.

"Are you hurt?" she asked as Kuon looked at her and tried to scramble up but Lory held him down. "I repeat, are you hurt?" she asked as a range of emotions flashed onto her face. Kuon slowly shook his head before feeling her slap him across the face.

"Good," she said as she pulled her hand back, noticing the mark that was on the thirty-two-year-old's cheek. She tried to hold back her tears but was unable to do so.

"Kyoko, you just hit me?" he asked and she raised her hand again.

"Did it sink in why I hit you or do I have to do it again?" she asked and Kuon paled a little. "Kuon, you are…such an idiot…at least that hasn't changed." Kyoko wrapped an arm around her waist. "How could you do that?" she asked, "You always internalize this pain, you always feel that it's okay if _you're_ the one who gets hurt but you don't know how much seeing you in pain hurts me. I would have stayed with you tonight if you had told me you didn't feel stable."

"Kyoko, it's no-" Kuon said as he looked at her and realized once again how her pain hurt him.

"When we were kids you never told me about your problem. You only sat there and listened to me cry and then gave _me_ advice. You're such an idiot. You always think that it's okay if you're the only person in a room who's unhappy. You always think that -" she looked down with tears in her eyes. "I mean…you at least used to do those things."

"No, Kyoko, he still does do all of those things," Lory said as he still pinned Kuon to the ground.

"Do you know that the only thing that is keeping me from being scared and feeling alone, the only thing that is keeping me strong when the world around us is so scary and unforgiving is that, when I need to know why the world is worth it, I can go to my prince and he can hold me and tell me that he loves me. I'm scared, Kuon, and I know that you're scared too but we do this together," Kyoko had tears in her eyes and she got down next to him, wrapping her arms around him and crying into his chest.

"Please don't….please, even if you want to walk away from me, please don't let your light burn out," she begged him. "Can you tell me? Are you able to tell me wh-"

"I was scared that being alive was making things harder on you," Kuon said honestly and Kyoko grabbed hold of him even tighter, this time latching her on tight enough so that it caused marks on his skin.

"Never. Never think that. Don't you dare ever think that" Kyoko sobbed. "You're my Corn, my prince, my love, _my_ Kuon."

"I'll call Kuu but I swear to you, this conversation isn't over," Lory said as he made sure Kyoko had hold of her husband. He looked at them as Kuon turned to Kyoko, guilty about what he had just done. This woman was continually saving his life whilst telling him that he was saving hers.

….

….

Kuu looked at Kuon in horror as the four of them sat in Lory's office, he had asked for someone to look after Isabella so she didn't have to be a part of this situation. "Are you serious, Kuon?" he asked as he paced the room, "Did you just forget to take your medication when you were leaving for Japan? You know that you see a psychiatrist for a reason, you see a therapist for a reason because you have clinical depression."

Kuon looked at him, "I don't have -"

"Then why have you been going to see medical professionals for six years?" Kuu asked him. He ran a hand through his hair, exhausted about what had happened that night. "I thought that you weren't doing well in the hotel room but attempting to jump off a skyscraper, who the hell do you think you are?"

"Father, maybe it's best if we act a little more….tactfully about this," Kyoko tried to reason before looking at Kuon. "If there's some medication that you need to take, sweetheart," she said as she rubbed his arm and kissed it gently.

"I didn't want you to be embarrassed or ashamed of being with me," Kuon said and Kyoko blinked in surprise. "I didn't want you to know that I have issues with anxiety and depression that got so bad I have to see a psychiatrist," he told her and Kyoko shook her head.

"I told you years ago when you went to see a therapist that I was proud of you for taking those steps," Kyoko kissed him again. "When I married you, I thought that you had some depression issues but if you had told me then that you had to take medicine for it, I would proudly be the wife of someone who is taking some positive steps in his life." She pressed her head into his chest. "Corn, you have no reason to be embarrassed or feel ashamed. I love you. I want to help you with whatever I can."

"I thought that if you saw me take them," Kuon told her and Kyoko shook her head.

"You're such a strong person," she said as she took his hands in hers. "You are so amazing and I am so lucky to have you as my husband. Everyone needs a little help now and again and yours is chemical but so what. If you had cancer, I'd love you and come to every one of your chemo visits. If you had Alzheimer's, I would read up on how I could help you. If you had incontinence issues," she said as Kuon's eyes snapped wider, "I'd put your needs first, always."

"If you knew that the man you married and the husband of your child had clinical depression," Kuon started and Kyoko looked at him.

"Then it wouldn't make a difference to me," she said before looking down, "You jumping off the roof makes a huge difference. If taking a certain dosage of medicine every night makes you feel happier and more in control then I'd rather have that a million times more than you jumping off the roof."

"Even if –" Kuon said hesitantly and Kyoko looked at him firmly.

"Kuon, _anything_ would be better than you jumping off of the roof," she said before sighing. "I just love you so much." She looked to Kuu and with Kuon distracted, Kyoko put a handcuff on his wrist before putting the other one on her own wrist. She smiled as he looked at her surprised. "Now if you want to go flying, you're going to have to take me with you," she said as she moved his hand to her lips.

She was not going to let him go.

….

….

Kyoko looked up at the ceiling as she lay in the bed in the middle of the night. She could see Kuon's restless body next to her but at least he had taken his medication. That was really all she could ask for right now. She looked at him and let her hand go through the blond hair as she knew that she was special in being allowed to be this close to him.

"You are gorgeous," she whispered to him as he seemed to be struggling even in his sleep. Kyoko sighed before pushing the blankets off of them. She only had limited space to move unless she wanted to take the handcuff off.

She sighed and placed a hand on his well defined muscles as she turned the light on. Her eyes lit up as she found a pencil and then tested it on her hand. With a little saliva she tested whether it came off and after discovering it did, she grinned to herself and sat over her husband's bare chest.

She leaned down to write the word, _affectionate_ on his skin.

He didn't wake up and so Kyoko chose a different area and under his collar bone wrote the words _passionate prince_

He still didn't wake so Kyoko smiled as she took the pen and started to write words that came to her mind when she thought about him all over his body. She smiled as she tried to come up with every good word she had to describe her husband and soon had covered all of his chest with words. She smiled to herself as she reached to turn the light off and pressed her lips to the word _gorgeous_.

…

…

"Sorry, Kayla" a woman at the American acting agency said as a young woman approached the counter with a file in her hand. "I know that you want to -"

"Well, Kuon didn't tell me when we had our last dinner date but I heard that his wife had been found. Apparently it's going to cause quite a stir here, she got cryogenically frozen and is ten years too young for him," Kayla commented.

The woman, Sarah, who was at the counter sighed, "Unlike you who is five years his senior. Are you actually going out with Kuon? I thought the two of you just had very professional meetings."

"I've been trying to seduce him for two years now," Kayla smiled, "You think some flightly Japanese girl is going to stop me from my work. I'm telling you, Sarah," the older woman grinned with a manipulative gleam in her eyes. "Before Christmas Day, Kuon Hizuri will be calling me his girlfriend."

"Not much chance of that," a Japanese man said as he collected his paperwork from the desk and put it into the corresponding folders. He smiled falsely to Kayla as he handed Sarah the paperwork. "You will find that that's all in order. I owe Kuon a lot so please make sure that all that work correctly matches with what you need from him. I'm not sure of his date of return but -"

"But you owe him a lot since it was Kuu Hizuri who got you into an American agency and requested that you were made Kuon's manager," Sarah smiled as Kayla turned her nose up at this. "A friend of the family."

"Well, let's just say that I wasn't going to let Kuon have all the fun over here, "he said before looking back at Kayla. "I'm sorry to tell you but you have nothing over Kyoko and there's no chance of -"

"Oh, that's right," Sarah smiled, "You know both Kuon and his wife since you knew them before the tragedy."

"I knew them before they were married," the man smiled before putting his own folder into his suitcase. "Well, have a good rest of your day ladies, I'm going home to my own wife since Kuon doesn't need me today," he said and Kayla rolled her eyes.

"I really dislike that guy," she sighed.

"He's so nice," Sarah smiled happily as she thought about how well they worked together, they were always a team.

"Well," Kayla sighed, "I guess we'll get to find out how much Yashiro Yukihito knows about the corruptible male mind."

 **End of Chapter Fourteen**

 **Thank you for Reading**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter Thirteen**

Brennakai: I'm too nice to leave you too long without an explanation, hopefully you enjoyed it 😊

Ktoll9: well that's why Kyoko slapped him 😊

nu2: Thank you, I tried to update quickly ;)

I'm so sad that the SPOILERS SPOILERS new chapter doesn't seem to have Ren in it SPOILERS SPOILERS


	15. Chapter 15 - Would You Do Anything?

**AN:** Hope you enjoy 😊 I wanted to give you a lot of flashbacks to what led up to the suicide attempt. If my writing is a little shaky it's because someone who I consider a good work friend quit the company we work for without a word and it broke my heart :/ but I wish good things for her. It's just….super sad.

 **Chapter Fifteen – Would You Do Anything?**

Kyoko sighed as she let her fingers comb through Kuon's hair as he slept. She wanted to trust him and let him be his own person but she wondered if she were strong enough to help him. Apparently he was supposed to be taking a moderate dosage of two different medications and because he had been scared that she wouldn't accept that, he hadn't taken these medicines over the past few days.

She sighed as she looked over at the bottle.

She had promised him that she would stay beside him and that she would continue to love him. She was capable of doing all of that but she wanted to know how bad his symptoms were. Obviously if he were going to jump off the roof of a building they were somewhat severe.

"Kyoko, I'm sorry," Kuon whispered as he shivered in his sleep and Kyoko smoothed down his hair more. "I tried…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry you met me," he whispered and Kyoko's eyes widened. She froze and thought back to the time she had met him as a fairy in the woods. It was the first time she had found hope and someone to listen to her who wasn't Shotaro. The way that he had been a fairy for her and someone who gave her the most comfort especially during her break with Sho was so important to her.

"Sweetheart," she whispered, "The best thing to have ever happened to me is meeting you," she told him before looking down, "that and dropping the stone you gave me which shifted our relationship," she wasn't sure if he was awake or not but she wanted to say it.

"You flipped me off," Kuon said as he lay there with his eyes closed and Kyoko smiled.

"Okay, you were being a major pain though, you always could get under my skin and -" Kyoko replied before seeing the broken way that Kuon looked at her.

"Why did you have to stay with me?" he asked and Kyoko paused.

"I love you," she said simply before seeing him turn his face into the bed and start crying which made her cry. She hadn't seen Kuon like this very often and she wrapped her arms around him.

"You left me," he said and Kyoko put a hand on his cheek, "You died. I should have been the one who - If I had never met you, you wouldn't be dead," he whispered and Kyoko felt her walls crumble as he sobbed out his pain.

"Kuon?" Kyoko asked as she pinched him hard and the actor paused before looking up at her.

"Huh?" he asked and then sat straight up, looking at her panicked, "Kyoko, is something wrong? Did something happen? Do I need to -" He blinked in surprise as Kyoko just wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his neck lovingly.

"Everything is okay," Kyoko smiled to him, "I'm here. We're both together," she said as Kuon reached over to turn the light on. Kyoko paused for a moment before seeing Kuon notice the words that were covering his body, he looked at all of the different kanji.

"Did I get really drunk last night?" he asked as he looked at all of them. "Please tell me you didn't find me at a tattoo par-"

"Kuon, I wrote them on with washable pen ink," Kyoko smiled, "I wanted to prove to you how much I love you so I wrote all of these words." She smiled softly as she looked down, her heart shaking in her chest and she felt tears in her eyes. "You need to know how precious you are to me and how I feel that we were made to be together. I love you."

Kuon smiled before reaching for his phone, "Come here," he gestured and Kyoko smiled as Kuon brought the phone to take a selfie of the two of them. "You're amazing," he told her as Kyoko looked at him and kissed his cheek as the picture was taken.

She put a finger on one of the kanji near his rib cage and smiled, "No, you're amazing," she grinned as he looked upon her lovingly. Only she could be this creative.

…

…

 _It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kuon wasn't at his best but Kuu wasn't sure why. He had heard from Isabella that when she and Kuon had gone out they had run into a demon man who Kuon had told him used to be part of a Visual Kei band. However, Kuu hadn't expected for Kuon to have met someone who obviously told him something painful._

 _Kuu took a deep inhale before his eyes met the floor. He looked up at his son, "How about we spend some time together tomorrow?" he asked and Kuon hummed at that. "I know you've got some time off right now and so do I, why don't we go somewhere even if it is just to go and eat."_

" _You know we have completely different eating styles," Kuon said as Kuu kept note of the stiff way that his shoulders were. "Anyway, I already agreed to meet with the producer in an hour or so."_

" _I didn't say right now did I?" Kuu asked, "And you should be happy, I might have been offering to eat the food off your plate."_

 _Kuon laughed at that, "Okay, how about I think about it?" he asked before making sure he had everything. "I'll be back before it's time to meet Bella," he informed his father as he put his messenger bag over his shoulder. "There's food in the fridge if you're hungry."_

 _Kuu laughed at that but he still felt uneasy as his son left the house._

…..

…..

 _Kuon entered the building where he was to meet with one of the producers of the movie he was set to appear in. He smiled at the woman as he approached her. He just had to talk with her for a moment or two and then he could leave. His career was definitely worth at least that much._

" _Hello, Kuon," the producer, Jessica, smiled to him. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me. How long have you worked in Hollywood now, three years?" she asked and Kuon smiled._

" _Somewhere around there," he told her and then looked around at what appeared to be a hotel lobby. How come he hadn't realized where he was until now. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair._

" _You look tired, are you tired because the beds here are very comfortable," Jessica said as she touched his hand as Kuon sat opposite her. The producer was just over forty, ten years older than Kuon. He looked at her confused. "I am worried about you…you need to be a bit more flexible."_

" _Is my schedule too restricting?" Kuon asked, "I could discuss that. It's important that I spend time with my daughter but -"_

" _I think we can reason something out," the woman said as she clutched Kuon's hand. "Would you mind joining me upstairs?" she asked and Kuon looked at her suspiciously. Was she actually asking him for what he thought she was? "I want to ask you for a favor or rather you can ask me."_

 _Kuon's eyes widened, "Sorry, I'm a married man," he said as Jessica stared at him._

" _No you're not, you're a widower and I know that you don't let anyone touch you," she said as she reached out for Kuon's chest and slipped her hand under his shirt. "You don't want to miss out on this role, don't you?" she asked before reaching out for his crotch. "You're pretty big."_

 _Kuon felt himself shaken up. He saw Kyoko's face in his mind as he was touched but he took a few steps backwards. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I have to go…I am married," he said to himself trying to convince himself more than her._

" _If you leave this table, I'll replace you in the role," Jessica said with an eyebrow raise, "Are you sure you can survive without that."_

" _I'm going to have to," Kuon said as he quickly moved backwards. He took deep breaths as he walked out of the room. Was that all people in this country saw him as? He thought his acting was speaking for itself and his range had grown. He felt himself grab hold of his wrist as he got into his car. How messed up had he made this situation? What if this woman spread this around?_

 _Kuon felt his heart shake in his chest as he drove off._

…

…

 _Kuon entered the house an hour and a half later. He wrapped an arm around himself as if trying to cover a physical wound. He tried to get his head to stop spinning and stepped into the house. He paused as he saw his father looking at him in an extremely serious way._

" _Kuon, what happened out there?" he asked before shaking his head and Kuon saw that Yashiro had tried to contact him. "You have to do damage control right now, where have you been?"_

" _Damage control?" Kuon asked confused._

" _The producer Jessica Able tweeted out that you tried to sexually assault her and that you shouldn't be trusted around women," Kuu said and Kuon paled, his eyes widening as he heard that. He hadn't expected that to happen. He looked over at his kitchen area before pushing past Kuu without saying anything. His wrist was burning up now._

" _Dad, I'm going up to my room," he said with wide eyes and Kuu stared at him._

" _You need to deal with this," Kuu tried to stress this and Kuon turned to him._

" _I'll deal with the real problem, okay?" he asked as he slipped a chef's knife into his jacket pocket. He looked around for some pills, just something. "Dad, I'll deal with it!" he snapped and Kuu took a few steps back not noticing the items that Kuon had just taken with him._

" _Okay," he said as he looked at his son worried, "I hope you do do some damage control immediately," he said and Kuon nodded whilst shaking._

…..

…..

Kyoko smiled as she checked over her husband and unlocked the handcuffs. "If you dare to try and escape," she warned him, "I'm going to put these right back on," she looked at him and sighed as she saw him rub his wrist. She saw the way he sat down on the side of the bed and moved over to him.

"Kuon, I want to go to America as soon as possible," she said as Kuon turned to her in shock. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Really? We could go tonight if you wanted to but I – I want to make sure. I have to come back to Japan in a month or so but if you don't want to stay here then we can go –"

"Tomorrow," Kyoko smiled as she kissed his cheek. Maybe being in Japan was forcing him to have some bad memories, maybe this was all too overwhelming for the both of them and they would feel more secure in Kuon's house.

"Okay," Kuon nodded, "Tomorrow it is, so just tell me what you want to do today and they said the passport should be ready today, I can always put some more money down to have them rush it."

Kyoko wrapped her arms around her husband and pressed soft kisses to his shoulder. "Thank you, Kuon," she said as he held her hand in his and squeezed it.

"You never need to thank me," he told her, "I would do anything for you."

 **End of Chapter Fifteen.**

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Thank you, Reviewers of Chapter Fourteen**

Brennakai: Glad that you liked the chapter. I love Kuon too 😊 Ren/Kuon/Corn/Cain but I think you can tell that 😊

Erza: That's fine, sometimes that happens in life and I hope I didn't scare you too badly.

KrisXD: Well they both really care about Kuon

Ktoll9: You're welcome, I didn't want to scare you too much.

Paulagato: Kyoko wants to make things better for the love of her life most definitely.


	16. Chapter 16 - On Such a Winter's Day

**AN:** Whilst it is still important that I focus on school right now, my hours got cut down at work because I work retail and it's going to be February soon. That gives me more time to spend writing. When I get to chapter 19 I'm going to be uploading alongside Alive so that means a chapter of each each day. I also want to write two other fanfics at least when I'm not working eight hour closing shifts 😊

 **Chapter Sixteen – On Such a Winter's Day**

Kyoko smiled to Kuon as she held his hand coming into the airport. Isabella was holding Kuu's hand as they had only been able to book two sets of two business class seats together. Isabella had pouted and protested at first at her daddy not sitting with her but she could see how happy he was to sit with her mommy. Kyoko was looking at the flight details as Kuon held her hand and kept turning to grin at her.

"Wow, there seems to be two different movies with my absolute favorite actor playing on this flight. "I'll have to watch them with him," she said as Kuon looked down with a small smile. Kyoko kissed his cheek where the stubble had grown out a little more.

"You don't _have_ to watch them," Kuon made a point of telling her and Kyoko brought his hand to her lips.

"I want to. Didn't you hear the part where I said that my favorite actor was starring in them?" she asked before smiling. She froze as she saw Kuon stop and he let go of her hand. She saw a beautiful woman recognize him and he went forward to greet her.

Kyoko took a nervous breath as she remembered her dream and how Kuon had ditched her to be with another woman. She put a hand to her upper arm as she heard the words that he had said and she tried to drown them out. She watched as Kuon led the woman over to her and she still remembered how he had left her and told her that he didn't love her anymore.

Although the woman was obviously Caucasian, she gave polite bow and spoke in perfect Japanese, "It's nice to meet you, I'm Winter," she said and Kyoko froze. Was that her real name? Well, she shouldn't be surprised, Americans often named their children that way. In fact most Japanese names meant something as well.

Kyoko bowed as well, "It's nice to meet you as well, I am Hizuri Kyoko. I'm Kuon's wife."

"I read the news," Winter smiled and grinned politely to her, "It's definitely a shocking story but with all my time working alongside Kuon, I know that he adores you more than anything or anyone with the exception of Bella," she smiled to the seven-year-old.

Kyoko saw the look of friendship in the woman's eyes but she still felt bad for being jealous of her. Kyoko only hoped that one day, she would be able to work alongside her husband. "Kuon's my husband," Kyoko repeated and Winter nodded.

"I know. Kuon is a romantic but he's only ever spoken about one woman, you. He's always said that he's still married to you but his wife had passed away. I thought that it was so sweet that he's so loyal and dedicated to you," Winter smiled as Kuon grinned back at her.

"You don't…" Kyoko said nervously, "have feelings for…" she bowed her head and Winter touched Kuon's chest.

"I have a wife," she smiled as Kyoko's eyes widened and she looked up in shock. "I have a wife that I adore very very much."

"Winter's a lesbian," Kuon said as Kyoko smiled weakly. She had nothing against this choice of lifestyle but she was a little embarrassed that she had come to the conclusion that this woman was attracted to her husband. She smiled in relief and Kuon looked at her.

"Winter's a model," he said, "We've done many shoots together, in fact, a lot of my female friends are either bi or lesbians."

"That's because all those other stupid women fall head over heels with you including some of our bisexual friends," Winter smiled, "Who can blame them right?" she winked at Kyoko, "He is gorgeous and he's so sweet that he's adorable."

Kyoko nodded and looked between them to see that they actually were close friends, "How did you meet?" she asked, "Was it on a…"

"Is it okay if I tell her?" Kuon asked the woman next to him.

Winter nodded, "I trust her to keep it private. With the way that you've always spoken about her, I can put a high level of trust in her," she said and Kuon nodded.

"Winter and I met when I was recovering from my attempt three years ago. She had an attempt of her own," he said as Kyoko's eyes widened and she looked at the two of them sadly. "We made sure to listen to each other and we both made sure we took our medications and we even went to group therapy together for a little time."

Winter nodded sadly as Kyoko looked at her with such compassion, "I come from one of the more religious states in the US. My parents weren't very understanding when they caught me and my girlfriend making out and they disowned me, telling me never to go back to the house. I ran away to become an actress but I wasn't very good at it. My girlfriend told me that I was a mistake and she had never loved me, she only wanted to use me since I was popular in the hometown. I struggled with getting acting jobs and I didn't see any light at the end of the tunnel," she said as Kyoko nodded along noticing that their stories had some similarities.

"Kuon was always worried that he had never been a good husband. He worried that he wasn't a good father and that he had made a lot of mistakes in his marriage," she said as Kyoko shook her head and opened her mouth to protest that but Winter continued, "I told him of my abandonment and the fact that I felt guilty about not being attracted to men. When he told me that I was beautiful, I tried to disagree with him but then he managed to find me work as a model and that's where I met my wife. If it wasn't for Kuon, I would have withered away in despair, but he turned my life around."

"Winter helped me figure out that I had to have more self-confidence in myself and I had to be a role model for Bella. She helped me get my feet on the ground," Kuon tried to continue as Kyoko felt the tears in her eyes and she bowed again. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around her husband, clutching onto him tightly.

"Thank you so much for helping him," she told Winter.

"I'd love for us to be friends," Winter smiled, "but that will have to wait until I get back from Japan. I got hired to do a shoot out here and I'm excited about it but if you're okay with it, I'd love to take you out for lunch. With the way that Kuon always talks about you, well you seem like one of those beautiful women inside and out. I know that Kuon wouldn't talk about just any person that way."

Kyoko smiled to her and nodded, "I'd love that," she said as Kuon wrapped an arm around her, keeping note of their bags.

"Me too," Winter said, "I'll see you over there," she said before crouching down and Bella ran over to her, wrapping her arms around her. "I'll see you too, Bella," she said before smiling to Kuu and going out with her backpack and suitcase.

Kyoko looked up at Kuon and grinned, "She seems so nice."

"She is," Kuon said as he pressed a kiss to the top of Kyoko's head, "Her sexual orientation doesn't bother you, does it?" he asked and Kyoko pinched him hard.

"How well do you know me?" she teased him, "Of course it doesn't. I don't judge people like that," she said as she kissed his neck. "She helped you when you needed somebody the most, I'm so grateful to her for helping you heal." She pressed her head into his chest again. "Is it wrong that I'm even glad that she's a lesbian and doesn't have any hidden crush on you?" she laughed.

"Oh, I love how protective you are of me," Kuon said as he pulled her chin up so they could kiss each other passionately. "As she said, I talk about you all the time and even when we were separated, I still considered myself married to you. I still considered you my wife. I always have and unless I screw up so badly that -"

"I will always be your wife," Kyoko interrupted him as she showed him how much she adored him.

….

….

 _Kuon sat nervously in a café, his wrist hidden by a long and fashionable black hoody. He had felt terrible about how he had acted two weeks ago. He had tried to leave Bella behind and he hadn't even thought about how his daughter would feel being an orphan. He had always felt scared that he was a terrible father and she would be better being raised by her grandparents._

 _Still, he had also learned how much it would devastate his mother and father with him deceased. He took a deep breath in, trying his best to settle himself. He ran a hand through his hair as he looked at a script in front of him. His eyes widened as he saw a cup of coffee get placed in front of him and looked up. This wasn't another girl from across the room trying to hit on him was it? He would have to send her something back along with the money she paid and a note saying that he wasn't interested if it was._

 _As he looked up he saw Winter smiling to him with her hair dyed white and makeup causing her to look even more beautiful than she usually did. "Hi there, stranger," she said as Kuon moved the script aside and smiled to her. "You mind if I sit down opposite you?"_

" _No, if it's you then I would never turn you away," he said as he smiled at her. "Daphne," he teased._

" _Ren," she joked back as he rolled his eyes. "I told you never to use my real name."_

" _Sorry," Kuon laughed, "I take it that you did a search on the work that I did in Japan."_

" _Of course," Winter smiled as she took a sip of her own coffee, "They really worshipped you over there," she smiled softly, "I watched this drama, Dark Moon, I think that Kyoko did an amazing job when she played Mio," Winter shivered jokingly, "It gave me chills, I can see now why you praised her ability so much."_

" _That was her first role in a drama as well, if you saw her later work," Kuon said and Winter nodded._

" _I watched that movie you did where you played the terminally ill patient and she stood beside you until the very end," she said, "It made me cry. If I didn't know how much she was loved by -"_

" _Is loved by me," Kuon said._

" _Okay, is loved by you," Winter corrected herself, "She would definitely be my celebrity crush despite her passing. You don't understand how attract-"_

 _Kuon held up a finger to stop her, "You know that nobody thinks she is more attractive than I do. She may have passed but she's still my wife. She's talented, beautiful, kind, intelligent, well you can see a lot of her traits in my daughter," he said and Winter leaned over._

" _I'd love to meet Isabella," she said before tilting her head to the side, "Are you okay?" she asked, "I mean, are you doing okay from the last time we -"_

" _I'm trying to move past it, the drugs are helping," he said in a soft voice and Winter nodded._

" _Good. That's so good," she said before looking at him, "I heard of this very private therapy group, I'm not going to force you into it but if I had a friend in the grou-"_

" _Sure," Kuon nodded with a weak smile, "My dad is really trying to force me to go to one of those so I see that I'm not alone. He hopes it might help me with my mourning but I know that I'm going to be mourning her my entire life, she is still incredibly special to me."_

" _I know," Winter said as she took his hand and squeezed it to give him strength and try to show him there were people out there who cared about him, "I'm so thankful for the fact that we met each other, Kuon. I can only imagine that she fel-" she caught herself, "feels the same."_

 **End of Chapter Sixteen**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Fifteen**

Brennakai: Well, as if Kyoko would let him get drunk after that attempt. She's going to be making sure he takes his medicine every night and she's also going to make sure he keeps to his appointments because of how much she loves him.

Crazy4Animation: Well thankfully, since he won an Academy Award, his reputation wasn't ruined forever and Jessica was put in her place by somebody who ranked higher than her in Hollywood, Kuu.

Erza: Yes, I want to kill her too

Ktoll9: Thank you, you'll have to wait to see 😉

KrisXD: She is definitely very cruel. Kuon's behavior with saying he's still married and talking in the present tense about Kyoko was something considered strange though.

Paulagato: Kyoko will definitely do her best and hopefully this chapter showed he has some support from others.


	17. Chapter 17 - My California Boy

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this 😉 I know that since it was never shown in the anime, Kuon's accent is debatable but I thought this choice was funny 😊 Also, since they are now in The United States, the main language will be English with [representing Japanese].

If you want to see their house, the house I'm using is: 1000 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, CA

 **Chapter Seventeen – My California Boy**

Kyoko clutched to Kuon's hand as they exited the LAX airport. The flight had been amazing and Kyoko knew it was because she had Kuon beside her. Every time she would look at her husband though, she was reminded of how much time had separated them. She squeezed his hand and he turned to her with slight concern in his eyes.

"[Are you okay?]" he asked in Japanese and Kyoko nodded to him before finding there to be a few camera flashes. Kuon guarded her from too much exposure, not sure if she was ready to take in his new lifestyle. "[Do you even understand how beautiful you are to me?]" he smiled at her and Kyoko sighed.

"[I don't think that I deserve it but -"]" she said before she was cut off by a couple of women coming up to Kuon.

"Oh my gosh, are you Kuon Hizuri?" she asked, "Would you mind taking a picture of us, we're huuuge fans."

Kuon looked at Kyoko to make sure that she'd be okay, she nodded and so he stepped over to the ladies. "Would you like me to hold your phone to do it?" he asked them before taking a few selfies with them, he handed the phone back to them and they thanked him. Kuon went back to Kyoko who was blushing. "[What? Are you laughing at the fact that I'm famous?]" he asked before seeing his mother coming out of a car.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late," she apologized to them quickly and then walked over to kiss Kuu's cheek as Isabella nearly fell over due to not sleeping much on the flight. "Hi, darling," she said as she kissed Kuon's cheek and then turned to Kyoko with tears in her eyes. She covered her mouth as tears were brought to her eyes. "[Kyoko,]" she said before smiling to her and opened her arms which Kyoko walked into. "[I'm so -it's really -]"

"[I'm glad to be back too, Julie,]" Kyoko smiled and Julie wrapped her arms around her tight.

"[See, this is what miracles look like,]" Julie said before pulling back. "[I've arranged us a private dinner at one of the restaurants around here but that will be tonight. It's amazing to have you back with us,]" she said before looking at Kuon in a way that only a mother could, "[Keep an eye on this one for us.]"

"[Definitely,]" Kyoko nodded before Julie turned back to Kuu. "So are we all heading home together?"

"I was going to take Bella back but I think these two wanted to look around a little first, there are some things that they wanted to look for," he said and Julie nodded.

"Okay, I'm sorry I'm late," she said with a guilty smile.

"It's fine," Kuon said as Kyoko blushed again and he looked at her raising an eyebrow, puzzled as to this reaction, "Mom, you had a shoot, we really understand."

"You'll be okay, darling, right?" Julie asked Kuon, "I heard about what happened on the - what happened that night." Kuon looked down with a weak breath and looked across at his father.

"What?" Isabella asked as she looked at the grown ups, "What happened? What?"

"Daddy was just…he was just messing around and causing trouble," Kuon tried to explain before looking back at Julie, "YA ne prinimal lekarstva v techeniye trekh dney, potomu chto ya khotel, chtoby ona ne smutilas'. Mne ochen' zhal'. (I did not take the medicine for three days, because I wanted her not to be embarrassed. I'm sorry.)"

Julie cuffed him on the ear as she shared a pained look with Kyoko, "[Did you slap him for that?]" she asked and Kyoko nodded, "[That's why you're a good girl,]" she said before going over to Bella who was trying to figure out what her father had said. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go back and we can see if the bird house has had some visitors," she said as Kuu squeezed Kuon's shoulder.

"We'll see you later," he said before he left with the luggage.

Kuon looked back at Kyoko with a smile, "[Let's go shopping,]" he told her and Kyoko reached up to touch his cheek.

"Let's speak in English," she suggested, "I really want to practice it since I'll be living here," she said despite having gotten used to English with all of the travelling that the two of them did.

Kuon smiled to her. As hard as Kyoko might try, since she had never had to act out the role of an American, her English still carried a rather hard British tone to it but one could tell there was a Japanese base. She didn't sound off but she didn't quite sound as if her English was her first language.

"Sure," Kuon said as he wrapped his arm around her, "Yes, we can speak English if that's what you want," he said before seeing her blush again. "What is it? What am I doing wrong?" he asked her with a teasing smile.

"It's cute," Kyoko said as she looked up at him, "You just…you're adorable."

"Okay," Kuon said before leaning down and whispering in her ear, "You have told me that a lot over the past few days and you haven't blushed, so spill," he said as he winked at her and Kyoko rubbed her neck.

"Maybe it's being here as well, you sound…well I love the sound of your voice when you speak naturally. Your Japanese is flawless including the tone and inflection, nobody could tell that Ren Tsuruga wasn't Japanese but you just sound…it's cute," Kyoko admitted and Kuon smiled weakly.

"You heard me speaking in English to Bella," he told her and Kyoko nodded.

"I know but not for so many sentences, not here," she gestured around her. "This is where you were brought up, Kuon, so it just makes it feel even more real that this is your real voice. This is how you speak most naturally, it's adorable."

Kuon paused before staring at her and blinked. He looked around before rolling his eyes as he understood what his wife was referring to. "You're saying that I have a sort of surfer accent aren't you?" he asked as Kyoko blushed again. "Oh god, I can't believe that's what you think of me." He laughed again and Kyoko grinned with a smile.

"You can't help it, didn't you surf as a child?" she asked and Kuon sighed and looked up.

"Fine," he sighed, "but I also did things that most kids did in the area such as skateboard, bike, go up to Aspen and ski and snowboard. I did a lot of athletic things but my parents are outdoor people. I was into doing things athletically and then I tried to be an actor and it just…well life unraveled for me," he told her and Kyoko placed a hand on his upper arm in an attempt to comfort him.

"I can't wait to spend more time with you here, this is your home, Kuon," she said as she let her head rest against his arm as he held her hand. "So, you promised to show me the shops," she said excitedly and Kuon nodded before he pulled over a cab for them.

…..

…..

After about two hours, the couple was heading home and Kyoko watched as Kuon put in a passcode to a very modern looking gate. She watched as he put his thumb onto a screen and looked across at Kyoko as the gates opened. "I'll get you registered soon so that you can get in," he promised her as he picked up the seven bags from their shopping (the ones that weren't being shipped to them).

Kyoko stepped inside and her eyes widened at the house in front of her. She turned to see a second house there but it was just the two and the mansion in front of her looked giant. She followed Kuon down the pathway with the redwood trees surrounding them. Kyoko couldn't help but to think about how glamorous this place was. Did Kuon have a room that he was renting?

"So, this is home," he told her as he gestured to the large house and Kyoko stared at him.

"Wh-What?" she asked as she took it in. She stared at the large house and her heart started to beat faster. What was her husband talking about? This was a massive mansion, the type that you wouldn't really find in Tokyo because of how much property there was.

"Yes," Kuon smiled before gesturing to the small house, "That's Yashiro's house, he pays me rent though but since I wasn't going to be using it and it's the perfect size for him and his wife and his son." Kyoko looked at him before gesturing to the large house in front of them.

"What?" she asked again and Kuon took his key before walking to the front door and unlocking it with two different keys. Kyoko stared at him as he opened it up and held the door for her. Kyoko's eyes widened again as she walked in to what looked just like a hotel lobby.

"The house is nine thousand six hundred square feet," Kuon tried to explain as Kyoko stared at him with her jaw hanging open slightly, "And then the lot is actually twenty nine thousand square feet so there's a lot of room to move around in. There are four bedrooms, mine – well ours and Bella's included in that. There are five bathrooms though one is more like a spa," he said as Kyoko looked around at the well designed home that reminded her so much of Kuon's tastes.

"I mean, there is an elevator if you wanted to use that, library, spa, pool," he froze as he said that and his back straightened, "Promise me that you'll tell me before you get into the pool," he said to her as Kyoko saw the fear in his eyes.

"You – We have an elevator in the house?" Kyoko paled as she saw the elegant and VIP way that Kuon had been living and she had to admit that it made her feel a little small. She'd have to get used to this.

"Yeah," Kuon said before looking down, "A couple of years ago, I won the lottery," he said as Kyoko stared at him, he was just telling her this _now_. "With that and the money that I make from my acting matched together, I really wanted a home and I love the natural environment around this house. I know it's a lot but I really hope you can feel at home in here."

"Well, there's someone who always makes me feel at home," Kyoko grinned to him before looking around in wonder. "This is such an amazing property though."

"Why don't we get your clothes into the closet in our bedroom," Kuon suggested and Kyoko followed after him, she was still so impressed by everything that was in this house. She paused as she followed him down the hallway and they entered a huge bedroom together with a wonderful view and a bed that could comfortably accommodate Kuon's height.

"So, this is the closet," Kuon said as he took her into a room that looked like the changing room of a very elegant designer store. There were a lot of clothes already hanging and one of the islands in the middle had a tie rack and other accessories that a guy might have. There were all types of boots including those for hiking and designer pieces. Kyoko stepped back as Kuon moved some suits from one side of the room to the other.

"We'll build on your clothing," Kuon said as he gestured to the nearly empty side of the room where there were a couple of hanging bags already. "I do have some boxes with your items in one of the spare rooms so we can go through those," he said before pulling out two drawers which had all of the jewelry that Kuon had bought Kyoko over the years. "I kept these so you know they are still here," he said as Kyoko picked up a couple of pieces.

"Okay, let's start hanging up some of the clothes," he suggested and Kyoko walked over to the hanging bags.

"Are there pieces already in here?" she asked as she unzipped one of them and saw that he had kept her wedding dress in pristine condition. Tears came to her eyes as she touched the lace and put her hand on the way it looked designed to have wings. She smiled as she zipped it up and then opened the second one. She gasped as she saw that he had kept hold of her Love Me uniform after all of these years. She turned to him and without hesitation, ran over to him and threw her arms around him.

"You have no idea how much I love you," she told him as he ran his fingers through her hair and lifted a strand to her lips.

"I don't think I could love you any more than I do. You're my princess and I will continue to love you unconditionally," he said as Kyoko sighed into his chest.

"I will always love my prince as well," she said with a happy grin, "Unconditionally."

 **End of Chapter Seventeen**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Sixteen**

Ashenvale: Definitely, he loves his wife.

Brennakai: Well, as strange as it was to everyone else that Kuon considered himself still married, Winter accepted that about him which made it easy for them to be friends.

Guest: Thank you, glad you liked it

KrisXD: Nope, I have some good OCs too

PaulaGaTo: Thank you 😊


	18. Chapter 18 - Knowing the Right People

**AN:** I hope you guys like this. Yesterday I got a migraine associated with the bright lights :/ so I didn't write very much in the afternoon, still I am very happy with this chapter so I hope you enjoy it too.

 **Chapter Eighteen – Knowing the Right People**

Kuon rolled over in his bed as he found it to be empty. He pinched himself as he started to fear the worst. What if all of this had been a dream? What if he had never gone to Japan and Kyoko had never been found in a frozen state? What if they weren't together and he was just mourning again? He sat up as he felt his stomach tighten and then heard the sound of the tap in the bathroom.

He stood up to see Kyoko inside the bathroom, her hair was wet and there was a towel wrapped around her waist whilst she was applying a little makeup and brushing her teeth. Kuon sighed in relief. "Hi," he said with a grin as he watched her getting ready. "I thought for a moment …"

"You thought that you had dreamed everything in Japan?" Kyoko asked before walking over to him once she had rinsed her mouth out and smiled. "I keep thinking that this is all a dream as well," she told him, "but it's a good place to be. I get to be with my dream prince and our daughter." She held his hands and smiled to him. "How are you feeling today? Any bad thoughts in that head of yours?"

"I'm doing okay," Kuon said before looking down and Kyoko reached up to place a hand on his cheek.

"What is it?" Kyoko said as Kuon took a deep breath in.

"I have to go to work this afternoon, I tried to postpone it but they tell me that I have to go and be a model," he told her and Kyoko smiled.

"Well then you're going to have to look your best," she said as he watched her showing that he didn't want to leave her. Kyoko wrapped her arms around him and smiled as she pulled his head down to kiss him. "I'm so proud to be your wife," she told him, "And I promise that I'll stay out of the pool until you're here," she let her fingers brush through his blond hair as he continued to look at her sadly. "I love you."

"Are you sure that you're going to be okay?" he had to ask again since he didn't want to leave her ever again. He didn't want to hear the words that something had happened to her ever again. Kyoko let her hand go through his hair again.

"I'm going to be okay," she said. She held his hand, "How about I go with you and then during the shoot, I'll go and do some shopping or at least look at some shops," she told him with a grin. "It'd be nice to explore and then we can meet up, get Isabella from school, and go and have a meal together. How does that sound?" she asked as he smiled softly and nodded.

"If that's alright with you, I'd like that, maybe even Yashiro could accompany you," he said and Kyoko saw the concern in his eyes. She nodded again and held him close. She didn't really want to leave his side but she didn't want to be a distraction from his work as well.

…..

…..

Kuon smiled as he walked over to the shoot's location. He would be having his makeup and hair done in one of the trailers and he would be doing a shoot with some designer pieces for a major fashion magazine. Photographers loved working with him because not only was he polite and respectful towards them (which he had learned from Ren) but he also had that blend of nationalities that provided both an interesting and gorgeous glamor.

As he was approaching the set with Kyoko's hand in his, he saw Rico, the photographer for the shoot, pacing and holding his cellphone tightly in his hand. "Talk about professionalism," the man said and Kuon approached him.

"What's going on?" he asked the man he had worked with a number of times.

"Talk about professionalism, apparently Lara got offered a more fascinating role and dropped out of the shoot. This is why we need warnings when this happened. Breach of contract, I'm filing for a breach of contract," Rico said as Kuon looked sheepishly at him.

"Is there anything that I can do?" he asked and Rico looked at him.

"Is there a way that you could duplicate yourself and disguise your other self as a woman?" Rico asked as Kuon looked at him with an open mouth not sure what to say to that. "Of course you can't but I need a female model or we have to cancel this shoot…" he paused before turning to Kyoko. "Who is this?" he asked as he gestured to her body.

"Well, this is my wife, it's a long story but she -" Kuon started to try to explain about how she had been frozen and how they were able to bring her back to life with surprisingly no major medical problems, after all organs usually shut off with hypothermia.

"Has amazing bone structure," Rico said before holding his hand out, "Rico Reyes," he said as Kyoko kept herself from bowing but shook his hand politely.

"I'm Kyoko Hizuri," she said as Rico looked between the two of them.

"Has she modeled before?" he asked Kuon who nodded and Rico turned to her, "Would you be able to do some test shots to see if we can use you today?" he asked and Kuon looked as taken aback as Kyoko did.

"You want to use me?" Kyoko asked as Rico ran a hand through his coif, "I'd be…I'll do my best," she said before looking nervously at Kuon. She had been in America for less than one day and already she was being asked to do test shots for a modelling shoot. Was this why people said that America was based upon who you knew and not what you knew. Was it only because she was holding Kuon's hand that this photographer was trying to get her to agree?

Kuon looked at her as Rico went back to tell the other people on the shoot about this last minute step in, "You don't have to do this if you feel uncomfortable," he told Kyoko as he looked at her concerned. "if you don't want to then we can find a way to tell him no."

"I'd like to try," Kyoko told him honestly, "Even if it doesn't go any further than the test shots then I'd at least like to try," she nervously shuffled her body before smiling at him again. "Is that okay with you?"

"Whatever you want is good with me, I'm not one to dictate anyone's choices," Kuon said before taking her over to the area where the test shots would be done.

…..

…..

It didn't surprise Kuon that once they had taken a good look at his wife, the entire team thought that she was beautiful. He had always known how beautiful she was and so when they had told her to go and get changed and have hair and makeup work on her, he had smiled with satisfaction. It had taken him some time to get started and have his feet on the ground. Kyoko didn't seem to have that holding her back.

He was looking through an older magazine edition when he heard someone come and sit down next to him and glanced up at his manager. "Hi," he said since it wasn't usually the case that managers came on the modelling shoots unless something needed to be discussed.

"How are you feeling?" Yashiro asked him, "With your world shaken up by all of this. With how much you've gone through these past years and now to hear that she's alive, how are you coping with this?"

"Turbulently as always," Kuon told him, "There's a lot of moving piece involved in this, I have to be careful with what I show her in my life. Or, I wanted to be careful at least."

"You know, jumping off of a skyscraper doesn't seem to give the message of mental stability," Yashiro told him as Kuon rolled his eyes. "Lory told me about it, told me to keep an eye on you. At least don't tell me that you tried to do it because you felt you were too old for her."

Kuon was silent and Yashiro nodded as he leaned forwards.

"You don't discuss things with people, Kuon, that's always been your problem. Remember when you would always deny your feelings for Kyoko when you were Ren and how bad that sometimes got for you -"

"And you teased me about it" Kuon interrupted him.

"—and then there was that car scene in Dark Moon and you stopped moving and people were worried about you having a concussion and you didn't tell me the real reason why you froze until years later. You kept repeating that you were fine, that you could handle it and then we all found out you weren't actually confronting the problem but trying to hide from it."

Kuon sighed as he reached up to touch his hair but then stopped, the hair stylist would have his head on a pole if he was to mess up the work that they had carefully done to his image. He leaned back with a deep sigh, "What if I'm no longer the person that she thinks I am," he asked as Yashiro smiled. "I mean, what if I've changed without her and what if she doesn't like the new me?" he asked and Yashiro laughed at that.

Yashiro smiled, "Well I think that every wife if they came back from the dead, every woman, would like their significant other to be as loyal and in love with them as you are. You haven't even dated anyone in the past six years, you've taken care of Isabella and you've always told anyone and everyone about how amazing your wife is. I know a lot of people who thought you had lost your mind when you spoke about her in the present tense but I know that's the bond you two shared."

"Share," Kuon smiled, "Even if I've been loyal and even if I've always spoken highly of her, that doesn't mean that I haven't changed. I've gotten older. I have different interests. I am struggling with depression on a more severe basis. How can someone get used to those things?" he asked and Yashiro shook his head. He was about to speak before there was a knock on the door and Kuon stood up to open it.

He blinked a few times at the unbelievable goddess in front of him whose beauty rivalled that of Aphrodite herself. "Hi," he said softly and Kyoko turned around in the outfit which had some sex appeal to it but also had a light princessy feel as well.

"Do I look okay?" she asked and Kuon nodded as he continued to gaze at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked as he stepped out of the trailer and Yashiro came out. He grinned at the woman in front of him as Kyoko felt tears in her eyes at seeing their older friend.

"Hello, Kyoko," Yashiro said as he admired her. "Welcome back,"

Kyoko nodded, "Thank you," she said as she tried to blink back the tears so it didn't ruin her makeup. "It's so good to see you," she said and Yashiro shook his head.

"Trust me, it's a lot better seeing you and seeing both of you together," he said as Kuon wrapped an arm around his wife.

 **End of Chapter Eighteen**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Seventeen**

Ashenvale: I'm going to try to do that but I'm debating between the Russian characters and it in English or Roman characters. I've learned my lesson about that.

Brennakai: Really glad you liked it 😊

Crazy4Animation: That sounds like a fun story but unfortunately I'm not going to do that, at least not yet. I have so many fics right now that I'd feel guilty starting any more Skip Beat ones. Maybe once I've finished some and started the ones in my head right now I'll work on it.

KrisXD: Very expensive and I imagine it decorated differently but I do love it.

Paulagato: Thank you 😊 I love them too

RichkeyZero: Well thank you for reading, I'm glad you liked it.

Undertheskys: Glad you liked it 😊


	19. Chapter 19 - Should Have Slapped Her

**AN:** I meant to update this at the same time as Alive and hopefully I'll complete a chapter of that this afternoon. Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter Nineteen – Should Have Slapped Her**

Kyoko grinned happily as she held onto the photographs that Rico had given them to look at. These were early preview photos which they had signed a contract not to disclose but because this was Kyoko's first modelling shoot, Rico had wanted to give her something in gratitude for the last minute stand in. Kyoko grinned as she saw the gentle way that Kuon held her and how amazing the two of them still looked together despite the age difference now separating them.

"[I think I like this picture the most]," Kyoko told Kuon as she pointed to one where her hair was a little wavy and she had on a white formal blouse with black skirt, both designer products. Kuon had on a black turtle neck and white pants and still looked formal. She smiled as Kuon kissed her cheek.

"[I love it too]," he told her as he guided her through the LA streets. He moved them over to a corner near some fashion stores and leaned down to kiss her as she laughed softly. "[You're not thinking of me as an old man, now are you?]" he whispered in her ear and Kyoko grinned at him.

"[You're still young,]" she said as she put the photos back in her bag, "[and age doesn't matter to me, you're still you despite the fact that you're a little older now. I'm so happy being your wife.]" Kyoko touched his cheek, letting her fingers graze against the stubble. "[I love you with my entire heart,]" she said before seeing Kuon freeze. "[Sweetheart, is something…]"

"It's surprising that you're still alive," a woman said as Kyoko noticed that her clothes weren't designer and her hair seemed to need a cut. She froze and touched Kuon's arm, she didn't like the icy way that that was delivered to her husband.

"Kuon?" Kyoko asked before looking back at the woman, "Hi," she said as she tried to hold back the anger she felt from that statement. Kyoko held out her hand, "I'm Kyoko Hizuri, I'm -"

"Wow, so you actually did marry somebody else. You are a slut after all," the woman said and Kuon's back straightened.

"I thought that we had an agreement," Kuon said as he looked at her, "Jessica, I thought we had an agreement and a restraining order," he said as Kyoko looked at him. "After my father arranged the defamation case, the court decided that in place of me suing you for damages they granted a restraining order which you're now breaking."

"I don't agree that working towards animals," Jessica said to him, "You ruined my career with that lawsuit. Nobody wanted to work with me."

"Kuon's not an animal," Kyoko said as she tensed up. "I've known him since we were children, he's not an animal and he's not a beast. Don't you _dare_ insult my husband," she said as a fire lit in her eyes. "Now, Kuon is sweet so I'm not sure if he'd press charges against you but I sure as hell will."

"Maybe not an animal but he definitely deserves to have a straight jacket slapped on him and to be carted off to the nearest psych ward," Jessica spat out and Kyoko's glare deepened even further.

"Now you've insulted him twice and in very serious ways. I love my husband and I will defend him with every last breath I make, so back off," she said as she stood in front of Kuon. She looked at the surprised way that Kuon was staring at her, did he really think that she wouldn't go on the offensive for him. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone.

"Kyoko," Kuon said as he tried to touch her shoulder, "She isn't worth it, princess," he said to his wife and Kyoko sighed.

"I'm only relenting right now because Kuon just asked me to but if I ever see you move or get near him without consent, you will deeply regret it," she said before she followed Kuon away from her. Kyoko felt her hand shaking with the urge to slap her and she looked at the haunted way in which Kuon held his expression. "Sweetheart, can you tell me what you're feeling?" she asked, "Who was that woman?"

"She used to be a producer," Kuon told her, "She used to be someone big in the industry. After she offered me a role in exchange for sleeping with her and I turned it down, she attempted to soil my reputation. She started to talk about the fact that you were dead and I had as good as murdered you. The fact that I couldn't protect you, the fact that she was trying to turn me into a sexual predator, it's what caused me to end up in the hospital."

Kyoko looked back in the direction the woman had been. She definitely regretted not slapping her now.

Seeing Kuon's face turn that with a little depression behind his expression, Kyoko took hold of his arm and looked up at him until they made eye contact. "Corn," she said as he watched her, "I want you to remember something," she said as she took the photograph out of her bag again, "You are not the person who she tried to say you were," Kyoko said before holding up her favorite picture of the two of them, "This is who you are, somebody who holds me so gently and yet so protectively that I feel safe no matter what, somebody who loves with his whole heart making me feel special and beautiful, you are this person and I won't let anyone ever change my mind on that."

Kuon smiled softly to his wife, "Thank you," he said as she grinned at him.

"Any time."

…..

…..

 _Kuon looked up from his cocoon as he felt a presence in the room and sighed, he was expecting this man to be angry at him for doing something so selfish. He was expecting to hear that he was a disappointment and that he should have been thinking more about Isabella and less about his pain. He closed his eyes as he exhaled weakly, "Dad….I…" he struggled and Kuu walked over to him, sitting on an empty spot of the bed._

" _When you lose somebody it's hard to restart especially if you haven't recovered," Kuu said as he looked at his son with pain in his eyes. "I have no idea how hard it is to move past the death of the woman that you love but I don't think sadness is any reason to feel guilty. When you left for Japan -"_

" _Dad, I didn't wa-" Kuon tried to argue and Kuu took a deep breath but cut him off._

" _It turned out for the best. I knew it was the best thing that I could do for you but even though you weren't a little boy at that point, you couldn't be after what you had dealt with, I still missed seeing my son every morning. I still woke up each morning with a pain in my chest at the fact that I was now a stranger to him, it took a while for that feeling to leave," Kuu admitted._

" _I'm really sorry that I -"_

" _What I'm saying is that I had to think of the good things and I had to think, my son would be proud of me if I did this or I hope that Kuon is watching me even though I knew you probably had cut me off and cut off your emotions to protect yourself. It took me a while to figure out that I might not get you back as my son and I had to remember that the memories were important and they shouldn't make me sad," Kuu sighed as he looked down. "I don't think I'm getting my point across."_

" _Kyoko isn't coming back but the memories…" Kuon sighed, "Did I cause her to die?" he asked and Kuu shook his head._

" _No, you didn't," the older man said as he looked away, "but let those memories help you find your own place in life. Let that feeling of being her husband be something that keeps you motivated. Remember her and…" Kuu sighed, "continue to love her because you two had something special and that can't be taken away from you. I always remembered my son at every point in his life and he became a motivating factor for me. As for your mother and I, we will do everything that we can to help you."_

" _Even if I still consider her my wife?" Kuon asked and Kuu nodded._

" _If that's how you want to think of her then don't let anybody tell you differently," he said, "all I want is for you to live. I don't care how or what you need to get you through it, I just want you alive."_

…..

…..

Kyoko smiled as she put away some groceries that they had bought together to make food. She understood that because he had to take care of Isabella by himself that Kuon had taken at least two culinary courses every year so that he could at least make her some home cooked meals. She was proud of him for that. It had turned out that Kuon had put a lot of time aside just to give Bella good upbringing, the type of upbringing that Kyoko had never received from her own mother.

She smiled as she looked at a cookbook stand in the kitchen and walked over to it to find an apron that read 'Number One Cook. Number One Dad.' "This is cute," she told him and Kuon smiled.

"Bella got me that when she was three, she was starting to read more and my dad was buying me some cookware. He wanted to encourage me in taking the culinary classes and so he bought me some nice pans and Bella asked him what that said and she had to get it for me. It's held up very nicely," he told Kyoko as she grinned.

"I think it's true but I really do hope your cooking ability has improved," she said with a teasing shiver.

"After we started dating, I had help learning from a talented chef," Kuon told her as he remembered how Kyoko had taught him different knife techniques and how to actually cook food that tasted good. He never wanted to go back to that monstrous chicken and shrimp dish. "Don't you remember?"

"Oh, I do remember," Kyoko smiled, "Hopefully we can start preparing meals together again. I'd love to see if _you_ can teach _me_ a few things," she said as Kuon walked over to her. He placed a loving hand on her cheek and leaned down to kiss her passionately.

"Can I ask you something?" he said as he pulled back from the kiss. Kyoko looked at him and tilted her head to the side.

"Sure," she said slowly as she kept her eyes on him.

"When you look at me," Kuon began and Kyoko hummed as she listened to him, "Do you see a senior actor who is much older than you? Do you kind of get the same feelings that you did when you were around the directors in their -"

"I see you," Kyoko grinned, "I see Kuon Hizuri. Stop worrying so much. Remember when we watched that show together about that teacher and his student and how he was the same age as her father or something when you were trying to be Katsuki."

"Yes…" Kuon said and Kyoko looked at him.

"Well, you should know that when you really love somebody, age isn't a relevant factor," she said with a smile. She took his hand and placed it over her heart, "Listen to me," she said slowly as she looked at him. "I don't love easily and you know that but I love you. I love you because you love me, because you keep me safe, because you love me unconditionally. As hard as it used to be for me to willingly accept love as an emotion, it's so much easier to continually love you," she said before smiling. "Next time you doubt that, I may have to slap you," she teased him and Kuon chuckled lightly as he helped her with th groceries.

 **End of Chapter Nineteen**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Eighteen**

Ashenvale: She's not going to be acting very much at first though and she really wants to be there for Kuon and Isabella

Brennakai: Yes, he is 😊

KrisXD: Well, Kyoko has skills 😉

RichkeyZero: 😊 Glad that you liked it

Undertheskys: I tend to update this particular fic very often


	20. Chapter 20 - Opportunities

**AN:** Whereas I was going to write this in joint with Alive, I actually prefer writing this story so I'm going to keep this as my every day fic but I do have some fics that I'm going to try to write in batches and then upload six at a time. This first batch includes:

The Lake in the Park, The Little Prince, If Love Was a Memory, It's Just Like Magic, Q and A, and The Voice 😊 Hope that you guys like those whenever I update them. Also, if you like animal transformations, I have a new fic 'Loyalty' which I hope you can take a quick look at.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter 😊

 **Chapter Twenty - Opportunities**

Kyoko grinned as she woke up in the bed the next morning. She smiled as she heard a knock on the door and hummed as she looked around. Kuon wasn't with her but he had promised to inform her if he was going to go out. That made Kyoko feel safe at least. With a yawn, Kyoko stretched out her arms before calling out for the person knocking to come in.

Isabella opened the door with a timid smile and Kyoko grinned at her daughter. She couldn't help but think that this girl was adorable. "Mommy?" she asked, "Are you awake?"

"Yes, I am," Kyoko grinned as she slung her legs over the side of the bed and opened her arms. Isabella ran into them and Kyoko scooped her up so the little girl was sitting on her lap. "How are you today, Bella?" she asked as she hummed softly and kissed the top of the girl's head.

"I'm doing good," Isabella smiled, "Daddy said that you get to teach me Japanese today…if that's okay with you," she said and Kyoko blinked.

"You have amazing Japanese, Bella, but…" Kyoko smiled as she grabbed the opportunity to spend time with her little girl, "definitely. It'll be good to find out how much you've learned. I'm sure that Daddy told you a lot, so where is he?"

"Grandma came over," Isabella grinned.

Kyoko tilted her head to the side, not sure why Julie would be there but she wanted to make up for the lost time with her mother in law. Julie understood why Kyoko had had such an easy time calling Kuu her father, having never had one, and a harder time calling her mother, having had such a bad experience with her own, but Kyoko adored them the same. She had spent less time with Julie over the years before the accident but she had impressed the woman by learning conversational Russian from Kuon as well as how to read and write in the language.

"I should get dressed," Kyoko looked around, "Is Daddy speaking with Grandma?" she asked and Isabella shook her head.

"Daddy is making breakfast. He calls it the princess special," Isabella grinned as Kyoko blinked at her unsure what to say. "Daddy says it's more like a brunch but because I have to go to school soon, he made it early. He put Mommy's aside so he can cook it for her. I think Daddy is waiting to cook his too so you two can eat it together."

Kyoko smiled at that as she looked softly at the rug on the floor, "Daddy really is a very thoughtful guy. So, what is he making? What is the princess special?"

"It's a hamburger with an egg on top of it. He makes it taste extra delicious and puts some tomatoes and mushrooms on the side. Daddy says he knows that it's more of a lunch dish but he calls it the princess special and sometimes cooks it for breakfast." Isabella looked at Kyoko as she saw the tears in her mother's eyes along with a very happy smile.

It was just like Kuon to keep something like that going for Bella. She looked at her little girl and put a hand to her chest as she struggled not to let the tears overcome her. She bowed her head with a smile. "Why don't you go down and join them and I'll go and get changed?" she asked before hugging Bella again and saw the girl nod and skip off down the stairs. Kyoko wrapped an arm around her chest as she looked to the wedding photograph of her and Kuon. "Thank you," she whispered to him.

She really was so thankful that she had married somebody so wonderful, a real life prince.

…..

…..

As Kyoko got downstairs in a mid-length skirt and blouse, she went over to her husband and for a moment just watched him. Kuon was wearing his apron, a tee and jeans, and he had his hair tied back like a Japanese chef would do. She saw the way he mixed the ingredients together and saw the careful way in which he studied his cooking to make it perfect.

Careful not to disturb him, Kyoko walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Morning," she hummed as she saw him smile down at her.

"Morning," he said as he took a step back from the stove. "I wanted to make breakfast. My mother's here."

"Bella told me that," Kyoko said as she buried her face in his warm back.

Kuon laughed, "I asked Bella not to wake you. I don't know if you're still suffering from jet lag. I don't really understand how being frozen for that long works but I'll try to figure it out. I'm going to need your help in that. I'm going to need for you to rely on me as much as you can."

"I'm good, Kuon, better now that I'm with you," she said. She looked at the prep work that he had done and squeezed his hand as she stood next to him. "Is there anything that I can help with?" she asked and Kuon looked at the meal which was ready to go after he had cooked the burgers and the egg.

"Not really," he said slowly, "but you can help me cook tomorrow morning, how about that?"

"Deal," Kyoko said as she grabbed his collar so that she could kiss him. "Is there a reason why Julie is here? It seems a little early and…"

"I'll let my mother tell you that," Kuon said as he looked at her, "I…there's multiple layers to what she wants to talk to you about. I don't think it's going to be an unpleasant conversation, I'm actually hoping that she'll help you and it'll give you a lot of opportunities."

"All right," Kyoko said as she eyed him curiously. "You'll tell me if you need any help with the cooking, won't you?" she asked and Kuon nodded knowing that after all of these years that he wouldn't.

"Promise," he said as Kyoko started to walk out of the kitchen and to the dining room.

Kyoko paused at the door and looked back at him, "Your hair is adorable like that," she said and Kuon smiled as he watched her leave.

…

…..

Kyoko came to sit down at the table where Isabella was showing Julie a video of when she and Kuon played dolls together. Kyoko smiled at how Kuon had really gotten into the character of 'Amanda' the Barbie doll that he was playing and how she was trying to be a vet. She laughed as she saw the way his doll complimented Isabella's on the outfit she had chosen as a teacher.

"He's a really great dad," Kyoko said as Julie nodded.

"He's always trying his best for her. Did you see the goals set up yet for when he helps her with the soccer practice," Julie smiled as Isabella put the iPad back down on the counter behind her.

"Dad's the best, he's always excited to try the food I make," Isabella commented and Julie looked at her daughter in law before pulling out a picture, Kyoko's favorite from the fashion shoot.

"Rico sent me this," she said as she looked at Kyoko, "And I feel devastated about it," she said as Kyoko paled. Was this about her professionalism and how she had taken the spot of another model? Hopefully the devastation that Julie was referring to wasn't related to the way that Kuon was holding her. She really wanted this family to stick together.

"Is he…allowed to do that," Kyoko told her and Julie pointed a finger at her.

"I didn't know that you wanted to be a model," Julie said before putting a hand to her heart, "You wound me, Kyoko," she said dramatically and Kyoko raised an eyebrow just looking at this American-Russian model/actress.

"I'm sorry," Kyoko said slowly, "I was just filling in for somebody who didn't show. I…I didn't mean to cause any pro-"

"Are you interested in pursuing more modelling work?" Julie asked and Kyoko tensed. She didn't know how to answer that. She didn't want to have shamed the Hizuri family by being unprofessional but she had loved being in front of the camera and there was acting involved in these shoots. She would really have liked to continue.

"I…maybe?" Kyoko said awkwardly before she saw a card being put down in front of her. She smiled as she picked it up to read the agency line 'Julie Hizuri's Modelling Agency.' She looked at her mother in law with an open mouth before smiling. "Are you asking me to be one of your models?" she asked as Julie nodded and Kyoko quickly hugged her. "Of course," she nodded, "Of course I will. I would never want to be a part of another agency," she said as Julie laughed.

"I guess that I can forgive you then," she said before looking at Kyoko. "If I remember correctly, we would both be comfortable with trying to not use nepotism when it comes to booking shoots. I'll treat you as I would any of my models."

Kyoko stood before bowing deeply, "I won't let you down," she tried to promise.

Kyoko sat down again and looked over the business card, she rubbed her thumb over the name and smiled softly. She wanted to be there for her family and she knew that Julie understood that. She knew that Julie would help her with that since Julie also wanted her son and granddaughter to be happy. Still, this would be some way that she could still act and carve a life that was just her own.

She continued to look at the card as she heard the door open and watched as Kuon brought in a tray with four plates on it.

"Did you say yes?" he asked Kyoko who nodded. Kuon put the food down on the table and then went back to get the drinks but before he left the room, he was asked a question that he wasn't expecting.

"Is that alright with you?" Kyoko asked nervously and Kuon looked back at her with a supportive grin.

"Of course, it is," he nodded and Kyoko grinned at the card. "I don't mind dealing with those guys who try to hit on you," he teased her and Kyoko laughed at his teasing. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath out.

"So, you can come tomorrow and see the agency for yourself and I'll introduce you to some of the other models," Julie said and Kuon looked at her.

"Why can't she go this afternoon?" he asked as he felt a bit self-conscious. He knew the reason why they were putting this off for the next day and to be honest, he felt a little selfish when it came down to it. Kyoko and Julie looked between one another.

"Because you have your first meeting with your therapist since you found out I was alive," Kyoko said gently she looked at Isabella who seemed to be enjoying her burger and acting as if her father seeking help for his depression was a normal occurrence. Maybe it was to her.

"You don't have to do -" Kuon tried to protest but Kyoko shook her head.

"Those can sometimes be the most emotionally draining things for someone to do," she said before looking at him. "You come first, you and Bella come first, always," she said as Kuon smiled to her, he opened his mouth to argue before nodding and went back to the kitchen.

Bella finally looked up from her food, "That man makes Daddy feel happy when he goes to see him," she said and Kyoko started to eat. That was one of the things she wanted most, his happiness. Hopefully she could make him proud as a model as well.

 **End of Chapter Twenty**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Nineteen**

KrisXD: When it comes to Kuon, Kyoko can get her claws out and vice-versa.

Paulagato: See, Kyoko just wants what's best for her prince because only a prince would have this much loyalty and love for her 😉

RichkeyZero: Glad you liked it. Kyoko might have to stop slapping people though, she might become an addict 😉

Undertheskys: Happy that you like it 😊 I love writing this story so I'm attempting to make it a daily fic, key word is attempting.


	21. Chapter 21 - Developing Trust

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this chapter, the ending part is quite…playful. Also, I've now passed 1.1M words, how cool is that.

 **Chapter Twenty One – Developing Trust**

Bruce looked ahead of him at the blond actor as he began to make some notes to include in Kuon's file. "So, how are you today?" he asked the blond who looked up at him with a guilty expression, "I take it that something happened?"

"I tried to jump off a building," Kuon told him honestly and Bruce's eyebrows lifted. "I don't know what I was thinking. All I could hear was noise and I tried to jump off a building. I don't know how to control it when it gets to that point. I can feel what's going to -"

"How much of your medication did you miss?" Bruce asked as he looked Kuon face on.

Kuon raised an eyebrow before looking down, "I guess you would know that," he shrugged. "I'm not sure if it was two days or three but I felt lost. It was a rush of information and…" Kuon sighed, "I was being selfish. I thought that since Kyoko had come back, I didn't have to be alive any longer."

"You've been holding on for so many years and making so much progress because of your goal," Bruce commented, "You don't need to let go of that goal just because you have someone helping you with it. Did you think about how Isabella would feel?"

"I…I thought that Bella would be happier without me," Kuon admitted and the therapist sighed.

"Kuon, can you think back to when you were a child for me?" he asked and Kuon nodded. "I know that you and your parents loved each other, you still love each other, but you seemed to spend more time with your father. What if he had suddenly disappeared but you still had your mother? How would you feel about that?"

"My father isn't worthless, he's not a bad dad, he didn't see what was going on," Kuon protested and Bruce sighed.

"Are you saying that you _are_ a bad father?" he asked and Kuon looked down, grabbing onto the side of the couch without realizing it.

"I'm doing my best. I'm always doing my best to give Bella the life that she deserves. For all these years, Bella's only had me." Kuon's eyes drifted over to the bookcase as he studied the books for all the different psychological disorders. Why did therapists always keep so many books in their rooms?

"Yes, you've learned a lot about being a parent and Bella knows that she can come to you for help. Isabella loves spending time with you. You might think that you're not a qualified parent but for years whenever Bella has needed help, what have you done? For instance, when Isabella wanted to take up soccer," Bruce tried to open Kuon up a little.

"I've always tried to set aside time for her," Kuon admitted, "When she wanted to play soccer, I brushed up on the subject and I practiced with her. I coached her. I made sure that she was safe and -"

"and you managed to take time off of your busy schedule so that you could see all of her games," Bruce said as he looked at Kuon. He sighed, "Do you plan on jumping off any tall buildings in the foreseeable future?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Kuon said as he looked down, "but I am worried about screwing things up."

Bruce frowned and leaned forward, setting aside his notepad for a moment, "Kuon," he said as he made eye contact with the other man, "Can I ask you to think back on who you were when you married Kyoko?" he asked, "what kind of man were you? What kind of things did you enjoy? What were your hopes for the future?" Kuon looked down as he tried to think about those things and then Bruce asked him another question, "With those things in mind, how much of a significant change has there been? Is your personality the same as when you met her with maybe some minor changes here and there? Have you developed the same interests? Apart from the depression, are there parts of you that you want to hide away from your wife?"

Kuon took another breath in and sighed, "I guess I haven't changed that much on the inside."

"Well," Bruce smiled, "trust me on this, one married man to another, if you find the right woman it's only the inside that she cares about." Kuon smiled weakly. "If you had a terminal illness that meant you had to be hospitalized, do you think that your wife could leave you?" he asked and Kuon shook his head, "and if you were out on the street and were attacked, disfigured, what do you think her immediate actions would be?"

"To take care of me," Kuon laughed as he ran his hand through his hair again. "Well, she'd be pretty pissed off that I was in that condition but I think her concern would win against her anger. She would worry, take me to the hospital, she wouldn't be able to settle down until she knew I was safe. Just as I would with her."

"So, you're saying that if your face was completely scarred and unable to be fixed that she'd still be more worried about your health and happiness?" Bruce tested him and Kuon nodded, "just as you would be about her."

"It doesn't matter what she looks like," Kuon said, "I love her. It doesn't matter if she has a mouth like the Joker's, it doesn't matter because I love her."

"So, why can't you trust in the knowledge that she loves you?" he asked and Kuon froze at that. "You've made significant steps over these past years with your self confidence and self-esteem, but this is a test for you. Your wife obviously loves you so you have to trust in her opinion of you. Don't question it, just accept that you have a woman who loves you and so you must have done something to cause and create those emotions for her. I want you to trust in her and notice how she acts towards you." Bruce laughed softly, "You overthink things, Kuon. Don't think about this, just trust her."

Kuon nodded before he reached forwards and noticed that the appointment was almost done. He looked at Bruce before smiling awkwardly. "Did you want to meet her?" he asked and Bruce smiled as he gave a deep exhale and relaxed in his chair.

"I would love to," he said as he followed Kuon out into the waiting room.

Seeing Kuon exit the room, Kyoko stood up and put the magazine she had been reading down. She smiled as she saw the therapist for the first time. She kept herself from bowing but the gratitude for how much this man had helped her love showed itself on her face. She wrapped her arms around her husband and then kissed his cheek.

"How did it go, sweetheart?" she asked and Kuon smiled gently.

"We talked about some important things," he informed her and Kyoko held out her hand to the therapist.

"Thank you so much for helping my husband overcome his depression," she said, "I know there's still a long way to go, but thank you," she blushed as she looked at the man she adored. "I'm sorry, I should have led with an introduction. I'm Kyoko Hizuri," she said before feeling Kuon wrap an arm around her.

Bruce smiled to her, "It's incredible what cryogenics can do these days," he said and Kyoko looked down. "Sorry, I'm Bruce Carpenter," he said and Kyoko smiled to him. "I've been seeing Kuon for about five years now," he tried to explain, "He's always spoken so highly of you."

"I'm his biggest fan," Kyoko said as she kissed Kuon's upper arm, "I am so grateful that he has such a high opinion of me but I think that I have a higher opinion of him. After all, before I met Kuon, I didn't know that princes were actually more than real."

Bruce laughed at that, "See, trust in her," he said to Kuon as he looked at Kyoko who blinked up at Kuon. "I'll see you next week," he told the actor before looking at Kyoko, "It's a real honor to meet you. Kuon has always spoken about you as if you were a goddess and I can see what he means," he said before Kuon walked out with Kyoko smiling and holding his hand.

"See," she said as she squeezed his hand and lifted it to her lips so that she could press a soft and affectionate kiss on the back of it. "I'm proud of you for getting help. I'm so proud to be the wife of someone who is strong enough to face his problems. Thank you," she said and Kuon shook his head but decided not to argue. He would follow the doctors orders and listen to his wife and trust in her words. He might have a hard time letting them sink in but he had to place his trust on her over his own inner fears.

…..

…

Kyoko looked at the workbook that Isabella was learning from. She had already gone into the intermediate Japanese and Kyoko knew how much work she must have put in to do that. Kyoko looked at the page which showed the different levels of Japanese society and when to use honorifics. She was impressed since a lot of the foreign guests at the Fuwa's ryokan hadn't even learned these things.

"[Daddy taught you a lot, didn't he?]" she asked as she looked over at Kuon who appeared to be pulling something out of a closet.

"[Yeah]" Isabella nodded, "[Daddy watched Doraemon and Hello Kitty with me. He watched lots of shows with me.]" Isabella smiled and Kyoko pressed a soft kiss to her daughter's head as she kept looking over to Kuon. Right now he seemed to be setting up an indoor clothing rack.

"Kuon," she called over to him, "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"[I'm good,]" Kuon winked at her as he spoke in Japanese. "[You get to give the lesson today and I'll take the opportunity to do the laundry,]" he said as Kyoko watched him. She smiled as she looked down thinking about how Sho's father would have turned his nose up at doing the laundry and would have told his wife that that was her job. Maybe the gender norms were less strong in America and the husband and father taking care of the housework was just as likely as the wife and mother.

"[So, when you have someone who is below you in social positions or when you are talking to a pet,]" Kyoko said as she pointed to the words, "[You conjugate or you make it like this,]" she showed Isabella some of the more common Japanese verbs.

She watched Kuon as he left the room only to come back with a laundry hamper that had mostly his and Isabella's clothes and a few clothes of Kyoko's. She looked at him as he had no problem with holding their underwear. She felt a little awkward as she watched him go off to the laundry room. She had always taken charge of the housework before and she felt strange not being the one to do it.

Still, Kuon must have been the one doing it for the majority of the past six years. He had really had to fit the role of both the mother and the father in Isabella's life. She smiled as her daughter practiced some of the words.

"[Can you read over these and write in your workbook, Mommy just has to ask Daddy something quick,]" Kyoko said as she kissed Isabella's head and went off to where Kuon was sorting the clothes. He held up her bra and read the label on it as Kyoko blinked.

"Are you checking my bust size?" she teased him but Kuon seemed to ignore her teasing and hummed.

"I'm just seeing if it needs to get put on the gentle cycle when I wash it," he said seeming not to realize that he was actually fingering the cup of her bra. Most guys in the movies would get overly excited just to _hold_ a bra. Kuon really was just checking the instructions for cleaning it.

"Is that so?" she asked with a cute smile, "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to put it on?"

Kuon rolled his eyes with a smile, "Are you asking me why I'm not getting emotionally carried away because of a piece of clothing?" he asked her before grinning. "Maybe it's because I know that you'll let me see, touch, and even lick the real thing," he joked before Kyoko turned a deep red and saw Kuon wink at her. He came over to her, "You're not doing any modelling shoots in the next few days, right?" he asked and Kyoko paused.

"I don't think so," she said and saw Kuon's king of the night face.

"Good," he said before leaning down and leaving Kyoko with a very obvious mark on her neck. She put her fingers to it and looked at him. She really wanted to give _him_ that very same mark now. She wanted to pretend as if she owned him, after all, he had already given her his heart.

 **End of Chapter Twenty One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Twenty**

Brennakai: That's definitely how I imagine Julie 😊 and Kuon loves his wife so of course he does.

KrisXD: Well, I thought that this would be a new adventure for Kyoko to try.

Paulagato: I'm glad you liked it so much 😊

Undertheskys: Definitely, Kuon wanted to keep Kyoko a part of Isabella's life.


	22. Chapter 22 - Fooling Around

**AN:** Hope you like this, obviously I couldn't get too explicit but I feel like I toed the line here. Hope you enjoy it 😊

 **Chapter Twenty Two – Fooling Around**

Kyoko smiled as she put down her book and watched Kuon come into the bedroom. She smiled at him and stood up, wearing her nightgown and a robe that she let slip to the ground. "Hi, sweetheart," she smiled to him as she went over and touched his cheek, "It's growing nicely," she commented and Kuon laughed in slight exhaustion.

"Hopefully it will, my role asks for it too," he smiled to her. "I'm going to go get ready for bed," he gestured to the bathroom and Kyoko reached up, holding onto his collar. He looked at her confused. "Is something wrong?" he asked as he tried to figure it out in his head.

"You worry too much," Kyoko smiled before she put one hand on his neck and reached up to undo the top button of the formal designer shirt that he was wearing over a tee. She hummed as she slowly undid the other buttons on his shirt and tossed the shirt on the ground as he watched it fly there. "Don't tell me that the king of the night has forgotten what it feels like to be with a woman," she teased him before leading him to the bed.

Kuon smiled at that and pushed her down gently onto the bed, "How could I ever forget that?" he asked, "How do you think I keep warm at night?" he said as Kyoko reached up and started to take off his tee, seeing his well defined muscles underneath. She pressed soft kisses to his body before carefully leaving her own mark quite close to his heart.

She crawled backwards as she started to undo his jeans and then slipped them off with Kuon now moving so that he could take off his own clothes. He had forgotten how bold and forward she could be at times.

He slowly removed all of his clothes and walked towards the door, securely locking it before he reached out for her and slipped her nightgown off. He smiled at her, caressing her cheek before they both fell back into the sheets.

…..

….

"That felt amazing," Kyoko smiled as she looked over at her husband who was just staring at the ceiling in their room. She grinned as she rolled over so that she was facing him. "I take it that it was as amazing for you as it was for me."

"Having sex with my beautiful wife?" Kuon asked as he smiled to her, "I should have bought protection," he said before she ran a finger down his cheek.

"If I get pregnant then I get pregnant," she told him and Kuon smiled, "It would be nice to have another child with you," she said before resting her head on his chest so that she could be comforted by his breathing. She giggled as she curled into him. "My prince," she repeated as he pulled her into him to hold her even closer.

Kuon kissed the top of her head again as he smiled happily, "Let's do that again tomorrow," he winked and Kyoko nodded.

"Just try and stop me," she smiled as he chuckled, letting his fingers play with her hair before she leaned up to kiss him passionately.

…..

…..

Kyoko followed Julie throughout the modelling agency that she had built over the past four years. She smiled at the way that Julie introduced her to the other female models who appeared very nice and much more beautiful than Kyoko considered herself. Kyoko really loved the respectful and supportive way that Julie checked in with each of the models who was there that day. It showed how truly loving she was.

Kyoko smiled as Julie led her to an office.

"Now, for the less fun part," she sighed as she took out a folder with many pieces of paper inside. "I need you to fill these out and I need for you to read them and not just skim them because a certain person that we both treasure wouldn't be too happy if I didn't make sure you read every single word in them," Julie smiled. "Maybe two people but most definitely your husband and my son."

"Kuon and I share that feeling that you should read everything before you sign it," Kyoko grinned. Julie nodded. She knew that both of her children had signed a lot of acting contracts and they would know how important it was not to skim and to make sure they knew exactly what the director wanted from them. She wasn't too concerned with the forms but she felt she had to say that. She loved her little boy so much.

"Then is it okay if I leave you in here for, let's say an hour whilst I work on some things myself?" Julie asked and Kyoko nodded quickly. "There's some water here," she pointed to a water dispenser that had infused water in it as well as a cup. "Call for me if there's anything that you need, you can find the extension number for my phone here," she pointed and Kyoko grinned at her.

"Thank you so much," she said as she took a seat, Julie smiled back at her.

"You're more than welcome," she said before leaving the room.

Kyoko hummed as she read over the papers and saw that Julie had made copies of all of them. Taking out a highlighter to the copy, Kyoko made note of important parts and started to write notes as well to make sure that what she thought it said was what it actually did say. As she turned another page of the papers, she felt a presence opposite her and she looked up.

"Hey," the guy smiled, "Name's Justin," he said and Kyoko paused. This was a very very good looking Chinese-American male who looked about twenty-four or twenty-five. He was wearing a black button up shirt that had the first three buttons open and Kyoko could see that his muscles were even more defined than Kuon's.

"I'm Kyoko Hi-" Kyoko said before realizing that she didn't want for this man to think poorly of her and think that she only got to be a model because she shared Julie's last name. "Hi, I'm Kyoko."

"Kyoko," Justin smiled, "You're one of those hidden beauties aren't you?" he asked and Kyoko paused unsure how to reply to that. "I mean, you look like an ordinary woman but with that bone structure and the right makeup you turn into a goddess, I mean you're attractive right now anyway but I'd love to see what they can photograph."

Kyoko smiled as she looked down, she felt a little self-conscious as she wondered whether this model was hitting on her. "My husband likes to think that I'm always beautiful," she said as she tried to go back to reading the contract.

"I'm so sad that I'm too late," Justin said dramatically, "However, you know when you get married young, the man isn't mature enough to really value you. I'm not opposed to having a relationship with a married woman," he said and Kyoko shot him a quick glare, "Don't tell me your husband is one of those celebrity sports figures or maybe he's some old guy in his thirties and works in insurance."

Kyoko's back straightened at that, "So what if he's in his thirties?" she asked choosing to focus on that part. "He's an actor."

"Don't you think that means that he likes to fool around on set?" Justin asked before looking at her and leaning forwards from where he was seated. "Look, he's an older guy with a significant age difference to you. Obviously he's attracted to younger women and if he's an actor then he might be sleeping around with the -" Kyoko's glare darkened.

"Trust me," she said in a sharp tone, "My husband is _not_ sleeping around."

"Is he ugly?" Justin asked as Kyoko continued to glare at him.

"Not in the slightest," she commented, "He's gorgeous. He's smart and loyal and kind and yes, he is very very attractive. You shouldn't judge a relationship just because of an age difference between the two people," she looked at the forms trying not to scowl so much because she didn't want the whole agency to have a negative opinion of her.

"Doesn't that mean that he's playing around with you?" Justin asked as Kyoko stood, she looked down trying to control her own anger. She might have to work with this guy in the future and destroying his face would definitely not help her. She took deep breaths as she thought about Kuon's smiling face and how much he showed that he loved her.

"My husband is not like that," she said trying to control herself. Kyoko let her fingers comb through her hair, "You don't know him. He wouldn't hurt people or use them in some sick twisted game for his own desires. You don't know our story."

Justin shrugged, "Well, I'll talk to you later," he said before turning to step out of the door. "Let me know when you discover that I'm right and that he'll get bored with someone like you, truth might be that he already is but if you want to get payback, I'll be willing to sleep with you."

Kyoko frowned again, "Thank you so much for the offer," she said sarcastically before trying to calm herself. How could he talk about Kuon like that? Kuon wasn't anything like that.

…..

…..

As Kyoko exited the agency at the end of the day, she saw a man sitting on a bench with some fans watching him as well as the paparazzi. With his sunglasses on, Kyoko was immediately reminded of when she had first met Kuu at the airport. He did look a lot like his father after all. He smiled up at her as she rushed over to him.

"You finished work earlier than you said," she grinned as he nodded.

"Yes, I did," Kuon said to her, "It was just a table read." He came over to her and placed a hand on her cheek before leaning down to kiss her. "How did it go today? You get everything sorted out?"

Kyoko nodded to him, "Julie said she'll send me out on casting calls later this week," she said before throwing her arms over his shoulders and leaning up. "Kuon," she said as he hummed and let his arms wrap around her as well. "You're not bored of me? Right? Because I'm immature and -"

"Kyoko, why would I be loyal to you for all of these years and then get bored after a week?" he moved his glasses up to his forehead so that they could make direct eye contact. "You're not immature, you're probably more mature than I am. Did somebody say something to you?" he asked and Kyoko shook her head.

"You're not the only person who gets to worry about how old they are, Kuon," she tried to tease him as she played with the tie he was wearing. He grinned to her and laughed as he felt her hold tight to his body as if he were her life raft.

As the two of them stood together, Kyoko heard a voice that made her tense up.

"He looks like a real playboy," Justin said before freezing. "So now I know why you got let into the agency," he said as Kuon rolled his eyes. "You're married to Julie's son."

Kuon frowned, "Private conversation," he commented before turning and wrapping an arm around Kyoko. "This is a private conversation but you are right. I am Julie's son. Can I -" he shook his head and gave a very confident smile to Justin, "Never mind, it actually doesn't matter what your name is because Kyoko will prove that she's as good as any model here or even better. I wouldn't make snap judgments on people, you never do know how it will affect you in the industry."

Kyoko looked at Kuon and opened her mouth, she wanted to say that Justin had talked about how he would get bored with her and about how he might be fooling around behind the scenes but she closed her mouth. She didn't think it was important that he said that because she knew that it wasn't true. "Kuon," she said as she placed a hand on his upper arm, "Let's go home."

 **End of Chapter Twenty Two**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Twenty One**

Ashenvale: Well, Kyoko is very attracted to his husband even after all of these years.

ayingChan: Well they both want to be with each other and they are married 😉

Brennakai: 😊 Of course, plus family is what's most important to Kuon.

Erza: Glad you liked it, hopefully you like this chapter too 😊

Ivy: Thank you 😊

KrisXD: It's very good and very helpful advice

Ktoll9: Definitely 😊

Paulagato: I wouldn't go too adult but yes, they are ready to be together fully.

RichkeyZero: Glad that you liked it

Undertheskys: He loves her and he wants to show that love 😉


	23. Chapter 23 - Charity Event

**AN:** Hope you enjoy. I think it's good, though hard sometimes, to have a fic I try to update daily because that means I can rely on it and build it. I really hope that you enjoy it.

 **Chapter Twenty Three – Charity Event**

Kyoko grinned as she got up a few days later. She was finally fitting into a routine that went well with Kuon's and Isabella's lives. She sat on the edge of the bed and stretched before seeing Kuon's body slumped in a chair as he covered his face with his hand and groaned. Something wasn't right? She stood before taking a few steps towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Sweetheart?" she asked as she pulled out another chair to sit opposite him, "Kuon, what is it?" she said as she took his hand. She smiled as her thumb slid over his wedding ring and she twisted it a little. "What's wrong? Is it anything that I can help with?"

"I forgot I promised to go to this charity event tonight," he replied as he ran his fingers through his hair. "It's this organization that I donate to and there's this charity dinner and I can't find a way out of it," he said. "Well, barring a family emergency."

"Is Yashiro going?" Kyoko asked as she leaned forwards and Kuon shook his head.

"Not to this one," he replied, "I mean my mother and father are going, we booked a table and there's an empty seat but -"

"So, we can go to the dinner and Yashiro can look after Isabella?" Kyoko asked and Kuon looked at her with a weak smile. He exhaled in relief.

"You'd be alright with that?" he asked and Kyoko nodded, "I mean there's a raffle and there's dancing and bidding and a buffet and all that -"

"It sounds amazing," Kyoko said as she squeezed his hand. "You'll help me decide what to wear and how to style my hair, right?" she asked and Kuon nodded.

"I've heard that it's not the cool event for people under thirty," he said and Kyoko laughed.

"What is cool is that I'm with my husband," Kyoko smiled as she leaned forwards and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to be looking forward to it."

…

…

 _Kuon smiled down at the bar and the beer in front of him. He hadn't touched alcohol for six months when he and Kyoko had shared that last bottle of wine together. He had sometimes gone out and drunk with Yashiro or with other actors, Kyoko had always been telling him the benefits of socializing and saying that she wished he had a friend but did that really matter? Did any of this really matter?_

 _Kuon sighed, he'd finish this beer and then head home. He'd make sure that his father had tucked Isabella in and that she was sleeping soundly and then he would maybe read a book or put on the TV or something. He just didn't want to be out._

 _He took another breath in before seeing someone sit down opposite him. She was a blonde who looked to be wearing clothes that a dancer at one of the shows around here would wear. She wasn't slutty and she was beautiful but it wouldn't have made a difference to Kuon if she had come in wearing a trash bag._

" _Honey," the blonde smiled as she leaned forwards and grinned to Kuon, "Honey, you are the one guy in this whole bar who has neither tried to hit on me or looked like he wants to hit on me. You wanna buy me a drink?"_

 _Kuon stared at her, "I'm sorry," he apologized weakly before looking back at the game on the overhead TV set, "Not interested."_

" _Oh baby, every guy is interested," the girl smiled, "You're not gay or nothing, right?"_

" _I'm married," Kuon said as he held up the hand with his wedding ring. He pointed to the ring, "I love my wife very much. I'm just here to blow off some steam."_

" _Wow, so you are married, thought you were some guy with no sex drive," she grinned before taking a look at his pants, "Yeah, you're pretty committed."_

" _And you've got a little bit of an ego problem," Kuon said stiffly, "Which can be a good thing in this city. Listen, did you want to stay here or would you like me to call you a cab?" he asked as he pushed the beer forward. He just wanted to get out of here._

" _I'll stay here, but sweetie, your wife ain't gonna be too happy if a young hot thing like you stays at bars every night so you best be trying to show her some of that affection she deserves," Kuon laughed at that as he zipped up his leather jacket and looked at her exhausted._

" _Have a good night," he said before turning to walk out but another woman came up to the dancer._

" _Did you really get Kuon Hizuri to hit on you? I read these Japanese papers that ever since his wife's death -" the second woman said and the dancer laughed._

" _He said he was married, being wed to a ghost ain't married," she laughed and Kuon took a deep inhale before making his way out of the bar. He looked down at his ring. So what if the whole would were to tell him that he was wrong. He was married to a beautiful, understanding and brilliantly minded young woman and he always would be._

…..

…..

Kuon had his arm around Kyoko's waist as they walked into the location for the event that evening. Kyoko had put her hair up into an elegant bun whilst also wearing a very popular designer's dress that Kuon had bought for her. Kuon was in a suit and tie and his outfit matched Kyoko's amazingly. He smiled at her as he met his parents.

"Kyoko, you made it!" Julie smiled as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman, "Come sit next to me," she said as she took her hand and Kuu smiled before looking at his son concerned.

"Is something -"

"Everything's fine, Dad" Kuon said quickly before looking down. He didn't like voicing his concerns and although Kuu knew that, he was always worried when something was troubling Kuon. Even if Kuu himself were not to like the words that came out of Kuon's mouth, there was something very important about listening to his kid.

"I was just telling Kuu how amazing the food at these events is," Julie said as Kyoko caught sight of some VIP American stars that the majority of people in Japan would recognize. "Please let me introduce you around as well," she smiled, "It's so hard introducing Kuon to new people, he seems to know everybody already."

Kyoko smiled before looking at her husband, he hadn't seemed to be okay all day and she didn't know why. If he hadn't told her that it would be impossible for him to get out of going to the even that evening, Kyoko knew that she most likely would have tried to find some kind of excuse for them missing it.

"What's up sweetheart?" she asked and Kuon looked around weakly. Kyoko shared a look with Kuu and she went over to Kuon, holding close to his arm and then turned to kiss his shoulder. "I'm right here if you need me," she told him and Kuon nodded stiffly.

Kuu hummed, "Let's sit down," he said whilst still keeping an eye on his son.

Kuon tried to take slow and deep breaths before a woman approached the table and grinned. He looked up and his eyes flashed to see Kayla standing there. "Good evening," he said stiffly as Kuu smiled to the woman not knowing her plans to become the already married Kuon's girlfriend.

"I switched tables with someone to sit here," she smiled, "I hope you don't mind," she said as she sat down next to Kuon. Kyoko wrapped her arm around Kuon's and looked at her suspiciously. She didn't know who this person was but she had some bad feelings about this.

"Are you sure the other person doesn't mind?" Kuon asked nervously and Kayla looked at him with a smile.

"Of course not, you missed out on our date the other day, Kuon," she said as she looked at him and all three other members of the Hizuri family turned to him. Was he really going to go out on a date with this woman? Was Kyoko coming back here bad timing for when he would finally go out on -

"A work date, I said a meeting over coffee to discuss upcoming jobs, you were the one who insisted that we should call it a date. I don't remember ever calling it that," he said before standing up from the table and walking over to the restrooms, ignoring Kyoko. He stood by the janitor's closet with a hand on the side of his throat as he pressed the other against his chest and closed his eyes to start counting. His body was shaking slightly.

"Honey," Kyoko said as she approached him and slid a hand onto his shoulder as she tried to block him from everybody else, "Sweetheart," she said as she took the hand that he had on his chest in hers. She brought his hand to her lips as she looked at him with a concerned expression. "I'm not listening to her, I know that you didn't go out on a date with her. Everyone has been saying the same things and I know in my heart that even if everybody wasn't saying those things I'd still know you as loyal and gentle and sweet and my fairy prince. What is it?" she asked as she tried to take the hand that was on his throat and felt how cold it was.

She saw him shake a little and looked at him with a soft expression, "Sweetheart, what's wrong? You can tell me. I can take it."

"It's nothing," Kuon whispered as he tried to avoid eye contact with her, "I just need to summon him. It's nothing, it's stupid," he laughed weakly before looking at her. "How about you? You look beautiful. You're not cold are you because I could give you my jacket, I'd be happy to do that and - and it'll be okay if I can just channel him."

"Channel him?" Kyoko asked very slowly as she watched him, he wasn't doing okay. Maybe she shouldn't be surprised that somebody who had done some rash things in his life wouldn't completely be stable but she didn't care about the status of his mentality. She _cared_ about him and how he didn't look okay.

"Kuon," she said slowly and tried to reach out for him but he stepped away quickly, that shocked her. She didn't know what was going on in his head when they had been together before he had had days when he had faced depression and had faced anxiety but he never let it show. Now they were in a room with many influential people and he looked as if he were drowning.

Kyoko flinched herself as she saw the Tsuruga smile come out and noticed that Kuon's movements were shifting into Ren's. "Shall we go back and join the table?" Kuon seemed to say with the same vocal qualities as Ren had had. Kyoko blinked as she tried to ignore the shock she was feeling of him disappearing inside of Ren again. She nodded.

"Only if that's okay with you," she said as she held his hand and felt the ice cold chill though his face displayed none of this anxiety. She sighed. Ren Tsuruga was always the life of the party, someone extremely comfortable and confident being in a crowd. From the time she had known the person underneath though, her childhood friend who was creative enough and capable enough in his acting abilities to create a person like this, she could tell that he wasn't. Maybe it was from the bullying that he had received as a child, maybe it was from the unintended neglect he had faced as a child, maybe it was from the death of his friend and the isolation that caused but now more than ever

Kuon Hizuri did _not_ look comfortable at a crowded event.

 **End of Chapter Twenty Three**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you reviewers, Chapter Twenty Two**

Ashenvale: Unintentional 😉 Yep, lots of people

Brennakai: Well, let's see, Kyoko _may_ have to model with him

KrisXD: They exist everywhere, unfortunately

RichkeyZero: 😊 glad you enjoyed it

Undertheskys: So do I 😊


	24. Chapter 24 - My Date with Tsuruga Ren

**AN:** Hope you enjoy 😊 This might be my own thoughts and might stray from canon but hey fanfiction often does 😊

 **Chapter Twenty Four – My Date with Tsuruga Ren**

 _She couldn't believe that he had found out how she felt about him. She had tried to hide it from him and watch him from the sidelines. Yes, she had been hurt when she thought that he and Niko were an item but she had wanted to support him. Now he wouldn't want anything to do with her, now he would just - Kyoko froze as he landed in front of her as if he were some kind of superhero. Well, with the fairy blood inside of him he did have some powers that she had witnessed first-hand._

" _Look, Mogami-san," he said as he held up his hands to show that he wasn't going to touch her. "I'm not going to hurt you but could you just take a moment and slow down so we can talk. I know that I probably shouldn't have pursued you but…please, talk to me?"_

" _Does it matter?" Kyoko asked as she looked at him, "You don't love me and now you're going to think that I'm some stupid girl who keeps falling for guy after guy and you're going to shake your head and say that the idea of -"_

" _Who said that I didn't love you?" Ren asked as Kyoko looked at him in shock._

" _I don't mean as a friend or a coworker or any of those things," Kyoko attempted to explain as Ren sighed and rolled his eyes at that. How could he even get through to the woman in front of him._

" _I love you," Ren told her. "I told you that I don't mess around and that I am very honest in my emotions and I love you, I am in love with you. It took a rooster to make me understand that," he said before taking a deep breath in. "If you think that makes me pathetic then I don't care. I love you, Kyoko."_

 _Kyoko froze as she heard that and looked at him, "Who could love a plain and boring woman like me?" she asked and Ren shook his head as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear._

" _That's not how I would describe you at all, I love you," he repeated and Kyoko looked at him._

" _If you love me so much then how come you've never told me your real name," she accused him and Ren's body stiffened as his mask fell and he looked at her desperately. He looked around as if trying to make a very difficult decision and then led her to an alleyway where they were completely alone. He didn't look like himself. "What are you -"_

" _Is it that important to you that you know my real name?" he asked as if it was hurting him to do this. He looked down as he tried desperately to get his breath. He didn't know whether to tell her or not. She had kept the secret of Actor X aka Cain Heel but this was more serious even than that._

" _Yes, how can I fully tru-"_

" _Hizuri Kuon," Ren said as he looked at her and Kyoko's jaw dropped, her eyes widening as she looked at him. This was one of the biggest shocks that she had ever had and she saw the fragile way that Ren was looking at her. That was not what she had expected at all._

" _Did you just say?" she asked as she felt her voice shake whilst she delivered that question._

" _My name is Hizuri Kuon," Ren said uncomfortably as Kyoko continued to stare at him in shock and Ren closed his eyes painfully. "Please don't te-"_

" _No," Kyoko whispered as she still stared at him stunned. Her mind was working overtime to process this. "No, I'd never tell - I - what?"_

…..

…

The dinner was delicious. Kyoko had always thought that she had been able to cook well but this food that was in front of her was something else entirely. She took a sip of the wine that Kuu had ordered for the table and then looked across at her husband. He hadn't broken character yet and she was tempted to start calling him Ren instead. She placed a hand on his arm and smiled. "Are you okay, Kuon?" she asked only to have that Ren Tsuruga smile returned to her.

"Yes, I am, thank you," he said stiffly and Kyoko shot a look to Kuu for help.

"Why don't you two go home?" Kuu said as he noticed how much his son was suffering, he always pulled out Ren when he was suffering and unable to deal with these things. "You've already stayed for the dinner and you've had some photos taken. There are other people leaving as well and -"

"I'm doing alright," Kuon said as he took another small bite of his food, "Don't you want to stay Mo—Kyoko?" he asked and Kyoko raised an eyebrow. Was he really about to call her Mogami-san? Even with the years that she had been alive, he hadn't called her that for such a long time.

"Kuon, dance with me," Kayla asked as she put a hand on Kuon's shoulder and Kyoko shot her a very quick glare as she tried to brush off the hand as if a bug had just landed on Kuon's shoulder. Kyoko held his hand in hers and tried to squeeze it as if something would be triggered which would lead to Kuon returning to them.

"Would that be alright?" Kuon asked as Kyoko wanted to yell at him that he needed to be thinking more about himself and wasn't he suffering using and relying on Ren so much. He obviously wasn't alright.

"Why don't _we_ dance together?" Kyoko asked as she put a hand on Kuon's shoulder. "Come on, sweetheart, it'll be just like when we danced together at our wedding," she said as she looked at Kayla whilst saying that word. At least if it was her that Kuon was dancing with, she could still make sure he wasn't going to shatter on the dance floor.

"Then I'm next," Kayla said as if she were a spoiled child and Kuon delivered her the Ren Tsuruga smile. Kyoko however pushed herself against his chest.

"I'm not in the mood to share tonight," Kyoko said as Kuon bowed to Kayla.

"I deeply apologize, but I'm going to have to refuse the offer," he said and Kyoko put a hand on his chest, pushing him out of the bow and put her hands on his shoulders. Kuon led Kyoko onto the floor for a slow dance and the black haired woman tried to find the warmth in her husband's chest.

She wanted to leave, she wanted to find some way of getting him out of here before he buried himself even further inside of Ren. She needed to just get some sense into him and find out what the real problem was. She took a deep breath and tried to come up with a plan. The only thing that she could think of was if she got hurt and needed to leave. Kuon would never ignore her pain.

Kyoko pretended to stumble as they danced together and she managed to get out of Kuon's hold and fall down onto the floor, acting as if she had just sprained her ankle. She brought a few tears to her eyes using her acting and saw Kuon on the floor next to her as a few other people turned.

"Are you okay?" he asked her and Kyoko shook her head, she could see Kuon break through Ren due to the concern that he was feeling for her. "Let me see," he said as he looked at her foot but Kyoko grabbed to his chest.

"Not here, I don't want to draw attention. Maybe we could go outside?" she asked and Kuon nodded. He saw his mother run to the coat check for them. Kuon lifted Kyoko into a princess carry to take her to outside the event location. He walked a little way before sitting down on the beach which was only ten minutes away, five with his inhuman strides.

"Sorry, I wanted to get you as far away from them as I could," he said as Kyoko could see Ren vanish and Kuon take over. "Can you stretch your leg out for me?" he asked and Kyoko looked at the dress. She didn't want to ruin it with the sand but it was too late. Didn't Kuon care about that?

Kyoko stretched out her leg and Kuon carefully took off her heeled shoe before trying to check her foot.

He took a breath of relief but then saw that Kyoko was studying him and looking very concerned.

"Don't worry," he said as his hair was tossed around in the wind. "I don't feel any swelling, your foot seems fine," he told her. He smiled to her, "I'm glad, I was really worried for a moment."

"My foot _is_ fine," Kyoko told him and Kuon looked at her in confusion, "What I'm worried about is my husband. What was going on with you tonight?" she asked as he looked down guiltily. Kyoko shivered so was glad to see Julie there to hand her her coat. She slipped it on but found that Kuon wasn't taking his. "Sweetheart, please put your jacket on. I don't want you to get cold on top of everything," she said and Kuon reluctantly did so. "What was going on?"

"You noticed that," Kuon said as he thanked his mother who was also looking at him concerned. "I don't like being around a lot of people anymore," he said and Kyoko blinked at him.

"You've always been amazing with people," she said, "Charismatic was one of the words used to descri—"

"Describe Tsuruga Ren," Kuon told her and inhaled weakly, "I didn't want you to lose that pride that you have in being my wife," he tried to explain. "Kyoko," he said before looking away awkwardly. He shook his head and let out an exhale. "I get nervous around people. I first noticed it after I had accepted you weren't going to randomly show up. I don't like people to see Kuon."

Kyoko put a hand to his cheek, "I always prefer seeing Kuon over Ren. I chose to marry Kuon, I fall in love with Kuon every day."

"Even if I'm not as socially outgoing as Ren Tsuruga?" he asked and Kyoko smiled to him. She took her other heel off and stood up. She held onto his hand as he took hold of her shoes with his other and Julie handed Kyoko her bag.

"We'll see you later, Julie," she smiled as the woman nodded, "Come on, let's go for a walk," she said as she took Kuon's hand and the two went down to the water. Kyoko smiled as she felt the water against her feet. She knew that her husband always felt much more comfortable in nature.

"You know what I like best, Kuon?" Kyoko grinned at him as she saw the way that his hair was being blown around and she thought about how adorable it looked. She didn't care if adorable was an ill fitted word for someone of Kuon's age, she would always think he was and he was her husband. She could use words that other people couldn't.

"What's that?" Kuon said as Kyoko saw how much more relaxed he was with just her.

"I like being with my husband in nature, my fairy prince," she stopped and put a hand to his chest as she saw the way the moon reflected off the water. "I didn't meet the love of my life in a busy city or on a set. I didn't meet him at some kind of recording studio and I only met him the second time at the agency. I met the person I love most in the woods when I wanted somewhere to hide. I met him amongst the trees and the lake and the hamburger shaped rocks. I love being in nature with you. I love that I stood on a beach and wished to see mermaids and I saw my prince."

Kuon smiled as he listened to that. He had to admit that he preferred being in nature too. It made him feel safer and brought out a happiness that busy cities sometimes didn't. That was why he had wanted a house with a lot of space and a pool in the backyard and large trees. That was something he was glad Kyoko had realized about him.

"I especially love kissing my wonderful husband under the moonlight whilst standing on a beach," Kyoko smiled and heard Kuon laugh at that as he leant down.

"Is that right?" he asked her playfully before kissing her passionately.

This was Kuon.

 **End of Chapter Twenty Four**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Twenty Three**

Ashenvale: So does Kyoko but then she's really been into slapping people in this fic

Crazy4Animation: Thank you, I love writing but with both school and work it gets to be kind of hard to fit it in sometimes

Erza: Me too. I just want to hug him.

RichkeyZero: Yep 😊

Undertheskys: Definitely are that


	25. Chapter 25-Tinkerbell and the Fox Prince

**AN:** I hope you enjoy this 😊

 **Chapter Twenty Five – Tinkerbell and the Fox Prince**

Kyoko smiled as she saw Kuon bring Isabella back from Yashiro's. She was glad to see her family together although she still wanted to reconnect with Bella more. She definitely felt the gap between them and she felt like less of a parent than Kuon. However, that was understandable. Kuon had raised her as a single father, he had been there for every important milestone after she had turned one and he had been the one to interact with all of her teachers and had helped her stay on the right track.

"Hi, Bella," she grinned as she swung her legs off of the couch and approached her daughter, "Did you have a good night tonight?" she said. Kyoko had had enough time to get into some comfortable pajamas and she definitely looked cuddly.

Isabella nodded and turned to her dad, "Yeah, it was fun. We had pizza," Isabella turned to her mother before smiling softly. "Mommy, will you watch a movie with me?" she asked and Kuon looked at the clock

He smiled as he decided that his girls bonding with each other was more important than keeping Bella to a strict bedtime tonight. He nodded, "That sounds like a great idea," he told her and then turned to Kyoko, "What do you think, princess?"

"A movie sounds like a good way to unwind," Kyoko nodded as Isabella giggled, "What movie?"

"Tinkerbell and the Fox Prince," Isabella grinned and Kuon froze as he looked at her slightly paler. Why was Kuon freezing over a movie that involved Tinkerbell? Kyoko wanted to show her excitement, after all Tinkerbell was a fairy but Kuon was avoiding eye contact with her for some reason.

"Is that okay?" Kyoko asked as she looked over at her husband.

"If you don't mind mediocre voice acting for the fox," Kuon laughed as Isabella rushed to grab the remote to the TV. Kyoko looked at him suspiciously. Was this an actor that he absolutely hated maybe somebody in Hollywood that she had never expected Kuon to dislike? Maybe there was a rude or - Kyoko paused as the description of the Disney movie appeared on the screen.

She grinned as her excitement grew as she saw who had actually voiced the fox: Kuon Hizuri.

"Oh my god, I really really want to see it," Kyoko said as she looked at Isabella with both of them with wide grins on their face. She looked at Kuon who smiled and rolled his eyes. "Okay, we definitely have to watch this," Kyoko told him. "I didn't know that you appeared in a Disney movie and as a prince as well."

"He's a fairy prince who got turned into a fox," Isabella tried to explain and Kyoko's eyes seemed to sparkle more as she sat down to watch the movie, pulling Isabella into her arms as she sat down and the opening of the movie began.

"A long time ago when magic was plentiful there were multiple curses in the wheat fields. Not only was -"

"I'm going to get changed," Kuon said as he began to leave the room, "I'll make some popcorn up for you girls," he said and Kyoko nodded as she began to run her fingers through Isabella's hair as the little girl had her head on her mother's lap.

Kuon shook his head as he went to his bedroom. He hadn't told Kyoko about all of the work that he had done in her absence, it didn't seem to make a lot of difference to him but he knew that soon she would be asking about it. She had always looked up to Ren and called him a great actor but he didn't want her to feel that his acting skills had improved and for that to make her feel strange about staying with him.

Maybe he was being paranoid, if anything she might love all his work and it might not make a difference to her that he had won all of these major awards. He just didn't want her to think less of herself because she thought more of him. He sighed before going to the bathroom.

…

…

Kyoko had tears in her eyes as she reached for one of the last pieces of popcorn from the bowl and she and Bella watched the transformation of Devon the fox to the fairy prince of a far off land that Tinkerbell had saved. She felt her heart light up as she heard Kuon's voice promising that he and Tinkerbell would always be friends before flying off into the sunset.

"That was so good," Kyoko smiled as she saw Bella starting to fall asleep. She combed her fingers through Bella's blonde hair again and picked her up, mindful of her weight.

"I love Daddy in that movie," Bella said and Kyoko nodded in agreement.

"Daddy did some great voice acting," Kyoko said before realizing that that was why Isabella had that poster with Tinkerbell and the fox in her bedroom. Isabella adored her dad so much that of course she would celebrate his work as much as Kyoko did. She grinned as she brought Isabella to her bedroom.

"Now, how about you get changed and ready for bed," she said as she checked the time. It wasn't that late even for a seven year old because they had left the dinner so early but Kyoko didn't want to cause Bella to be tired. She wanted to put her daughter to bed tonight and make sure she was asleep, then she would talk to not only her but Disney's fairy prince.

…

…

"Kuon," she said as she came into their bedroom to see Kuon in a pair of pajama pants and a jade turtle neck sweater that really suited him. She caught him reading the third volume of the Green Arrow rebirth series. "You know, with the beard that you're growing you look a lot like him," she smiled before sitting down on the bed. "Are you okay?" she asked concerned about how he had acted only a few hours earlier.

"I'm okay," Kuon said before smiling to her, "I'm not sure if you know this," he said, "but you rescued me tonight more than you might have thought. I always seem to have trouble after events like that. Sometimes I can't even get a proper night's sleep and my mind seems to fill up with doubt but when we were on the beach, I could just let go of all that tension so thank you."

"You're welcome," Kyoko said as she looked at him again, "And all of that tension and doubt?"

"Is gone. I feel very calm and I don't think that I would if it wasn't for you, thank you," he said before laughing as he thought about when he had done Devon's voice and how excited Isabella had been to see the final product. He had been nervous when it came to voice acting for the first time since he would have to project everything in his voice in this new form of acting but it had received a lot of praise from both the critics and the public.

"I loved the movie by the way," Kyoko said as Kuon nodded. "You make an excellent fairy prince."

"I feel that I've been playing that role for twenty two years," he replied before coming over to sit on the bed next to her. "I've been focusing on a lot of different roles these past six years. There are a handful that I don't allow Bella to even know about because I don't want her to see them. They are somewhat violent and I'm talking about BJ levels of violence. I want to try a mixture of roles, all the roles that I can. I want to really breathe as an actor, I'm just not very fond of everything that comes with being an actor here."

"The socializing?" Kyoko asked and Kuon frowned.

"The networking but if you're not good at networking then it doesn't matter how skilled you are as an actor, you are dead in the water if you cut yourself off from everybody else. That's why I try to work with people on a one on one or small group basis. Everyone is trying to stay afloat here, it's a bit different than in Japan. Different rules for what feels like a different game."

Kuon looked down as he said that. It was hard to explain how he had to fight for his popularity here when it seemed to be given so easily in Japan. In Japan, people had treated him like a god and he had impressed everyone with his personality, professionalism, and talent. In America you really needed to sell yourself as well. Hollywood wasn't just about how well you performed but it was about who you knew in the business. You definitely had to sell yourself as a product in a way that you didn't in Japan.

"Then I'm going to be here to help you with that," Kyoko said as she took his hands in hers. "Have you ever considered going back to Japan?" she asked and Kuon looked at her in surprise before looking away. "Do you think that you'll ever do enough acting over here that you'd want to -"

"You want to go back to Japan don't you?" Kuon asked as Kyoko looked at him as he caught her off guard.

"That's not what I'm saying," she tried to tell him quickly and Kuon looked down as if he were trying to figure out a master plan in only a few minutes.

"If you want to return to Japan then we can," he told her as Kyoko looked at him with an open mouth as she tried to shake her head. She hadn't meant it that way. "I mean, can you at least give me this movie," he said as he gestured to the comic book and Kyoko froze.

"I didn't mean it that way, I was just thinking out loud," Kyoko said horrified and Kuon bit his top lip.

"I need some time to think about this," he said as he seemed to disconnect even from her. Kyoko tried to say something, tried to make eye contact with him but it was as if he had left the building. She watched as he silently got into the bed and looked away from her. Kyoko froze as she stared at him, maybe she shouldn't have said anything to him. He had built this wonderful home for himself and Isabella, they had their own lives and a beautiful residence and he had just won an Academy Award from the acting community recognizing his talents. All she had meant was that if it was so hard for him in Hollywood maybe he would like somewhere easier so that he wouldn't be battling depression.

"Kuon," Kyoko whispered as she put a hand on his back once she was in the bed as well, "My sweet Corn," she tried to tell him. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm happy here. I'm happy just being with you and Isabella and I don't want you to -"

"I just want you to be happy," Kuon said as Kyoko paled, "That's all I want for you and Isabella to be happy and healthy and if staying here isn't going to allow that to happen," he sighed and Kyoko shook her head.

"I want to be here," she told him, "I want to be in America," she said honestly.

"I'll think about how soon we can move back to Japan," Kuon told her and Kyoko shook her head, tears filling her eyes. That wasn't what she meant. That wasn't what she wanted. She definitely didn't want him to be upset about losing what he had desperately put together for himself and Bella. She hadn't meant to shake the foundation.

She just didn't know right now how to prove that to him.

 **End of Chapter Twenty Five**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Twenty Four**

KrisXD: I think we'll be able to see the two of them in nature soon 😊

Ktoll9: Well Kyoko wants Kuon's happiness as much as Kuon wants hers.

Paulagato: Me too, but I think that Kyoko is able to do that in the manga as well 😊

RichkeyZero: I'm glad you like it 😊


	26. Chapter 26 - Heat Sensitivity

**AN:** I decided to update this tonight instead of tomorrow 😊 Hope you enjoy it, I felt it was time to go back to her health condition 😊

 **Chapter Twenty Six – Heat Sensitivity**

Kyoko looked around the much smaller house that Yashiro was living in. Kuon was going to be working on set whilst Isabella spent some time with her grandfather and Kyoko had a casting call to go on later that day. Still, she couldn't help but notice all the differences between Kuon as he was now and Kuon from six years ago. She still believed that he was the same man but she didn't know how to break down those walls he had put up around himself.

She couldn't blame him though. If Kuon had died she most likely would have secured her own walls to stop herself from feeling any of the pain whilst raising an amazing little girl. She smiled gratefully as Yashiro set down tea in front of her.

"It's good to have you back," the manager smiled, "Despite the fifteen years age ga-"

"Don't start on me about age differences," Kyoko said as she smiled teasingly at her friend, "You sound just like Kuon when you do that." She sighed, "Yashiro, you know how much I love Kuon. You know how much he changed me and how I went from a teenager who hated the idea of loving someone else and giving your heart to them to a young bride who wanted nothing more than to be with my husband as we both went out to fight for our dreams."

"Which was definitely a wild change," Yashiro smiled as he raised an eyebrow. "Can I just say how amazing It feels to see the two of you together, it's like a great love epic and I can see him smiling again for real. It's been a while since I've seen him smile with his whole body."

"Kuon seems different than when I left," Kyoko said slowly as she saw Yashiro hum.

"The depression? It surprised me too when I learned how bad it had become for him. I know that he had feelings of self doubt and some anxiety and before the incident that was concentrated for the most part around his friend, Rick, but after the incident he felt that he was cursed to hurt anyone who was around him. He didn't even really want to be a pare-" he looked at Kyoko before pausing, "Please don't tell him that I said any of this."

"He didn't want to be a parent?" Kyoko asked as she thought about how much love and attention that Kuon had given Isabella and how many sacrifices he had made for her, their only child.

"He wanted to be a parent but he didn't feel like he deserved to be one. There was a point when he kept talking about himself as if he were this monster," Yashiro said as he picked up a teacup. "He felt that he was going to curse her and he was scared of touching her because he was scared he'd hurt her. I think there are some deeper psychological issues that he's dealing with. Maybe he hasn't told -"

"He hasn't told me very much of his medical history," Kyoko admitted, "I do know he's on medication and that he sees a psychiatrist and a therapist and I know that last night he got really anxious and had to tap into Ren Tsuruga again. It was strange seeing Ren appear." She said with a playful shudder, Yashiro nodded.

"I've seen Ren myself on occasion," he admitted. "Kyoko…" he said slowly before shaking his head and tried to sip his tea and act as if he hadn't tried to ask the question that was floating around in his mind.

Kyoko looked at him and tilted her head to the side as if studying him and attempting to read his mind.

"What?" she asked before looking at her arm where she could see something that looked like a worm underneath the skin, a very thin line as if there were a piece of silk in her arm and her eyes widened as she touched it. It was only the length of the tip of her index finger and as thin as her nail but there was something there. She let her finger brush across it and realized it was part of her vein. It felt like a burn.

"Kyoko, we need to go to the hospital," Yashiro said but the younger woman stood and looked at him trying not to go into a panic attack of her own.

"Ice," she said simply as Yashiro nodded and went to get some.

"Kyoko, I really think that we should get you checked out. You just came out of a cryogenic type of sleep less than three weeks ago. I don't think that we can really think that this is going to work like normal medicine and Kuon will be worried and upset if you don-" Yashiro froze as Kyoko pricked her skin and let the cold ice water seep into the open cut, the thread seemed to disappear as the ice melted into her skin and she stared down wide eyed.

"How did you know that would work?" Yashiro asked her and Kyoko reached across for some paper towel to put on her arm.

"I didn't," she whispered before looking at him. "Can I please ask you for something?" she asked and Yashiro looked at her anxiously, he was concerned that she might just fall over and shrivel up. He nodded weakly and Kyoko closed her eyes, "Please don't tell Kuon about that. It's never happened before and I'd like to tell him myself. Hopefully it won't happen again but if it does then please let me tell him."

"Kyoko, he'd _want_ to know, above all else Kuon cares about yours and Isabella's happiness. He cares about what you need and helping you and if he found out that this happened and he didn't know," Yashiro tried to argue but Kyoko shook her head.

"Kuon wants to stay in Los Angeles," she said firmly, "I'll figure it out. It won't happen again."

…

…

Kyoko tried to sit calmly by the pool as she looked through a book that she had bought. This was all about how to love somebody who had depression and discussed such things as making sure you knew what medication they were on and the side effects of it. Making sure that you took time for yourself. Making sure you could provide an open space for the person to talk to you about anything they were going through.

Kyoko really hoped that it would help. She smiled as she read it but then found that the sunlight was hitting her through the trees. She flinched as she felt it strike her hand and she felt as if it was burning her. She froze before looking at her hand and seeing that small bumps had come up as if she had a rash. One moment she had been fine and then the next.

She looked at the light and felt her mind go black for a moment. She felt so drained and lightheaded and she hadn't been doing anything. She had just been sitting under the sun and she had come out in rashes and felt dehydrated, her veins felt weird as if they were sticking and she tried to sit down next to the pool.

She fell onto her side as she tried to put her legs in the pool. It felt nice. It felt nice to have the cold water steadying her and she reached into the water with the arm that had the small bumps that had come up, she smiled as they seemed to just vanish due to the cold water. She needed it.

Digging out anything that might get damaged under the water, Kyoko threw herself into the pool with her clothes on. It felt so much better here and away from the sunlight. She felt that she could breathe with the cold water around her. She had never had an allergic reaction to the sun before but she had seen it described in those books about the young rich daughters who had to be kept inside in the dark.

That brought back the bitter taste of one of her first Love Me assignments and how she had had to use that enormous umbrella and hurt her foot. Kyoko definitely didn't want to turn out like her.

Kyoko froze as she heard a panicked voice and soon she felt someone grabbing her and she went to the surface, turning around to see Kuon extremely panicked about her.

"Kyoko, princess?" he asked looking completely broken as he tried to move her to somewhere where the two of them did not have to tread water to get air. He looked absolutely terrified and Kyoko swam over to the steps to get out. She saw him looking at her in so much pain. He was a very tall man so the fact that he had to tread water proved the depth of the pool.

"Kyoko?" he asked painfully as he stood with his arms wrapped around himself, his button up shirt and formal pants were completely drenched but his jacket lay on the grass beside the pool. So he had had the forethought of mind to actually remove something. "Are you okay? Did you fall? Are you hurt?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him. Her face softened a little as she saw him literally shaking with fear as he looked at her as if she had just escaped from the mouth of the huge tiger cave of wonders thing in that Disney movie.

Kyoko wanted to tell him that she was fine but then his words about wanting to finish his movie and the obviousness of how much he wanted to stay in Los Angeles came into her mind. If he were to see those rashes then he would move them all up to the North Pole and then the life that he had built for himself and Isabella would come to an end.

"Stop treating me like a kid!" Kyoko snapped at him as she saw the heartbreak in his eyes, "I know I may look young but I've always -"

"Princess," Kuon said softly as he quickly dug out his cellphone from the jacket. "I'm not trying to treat you as a little kid, I'm not, I don't see you that way but if you're hurt then we need to get you somewhere where they can check you over. I managed to make sure that my health insurance covers you so don't worry about the cost. I can drive you myself. Can you walk?"

"I can walk, I'm capable, what I don't want you to do is worry so much over me that you ignore yourself," Kyoko said as she tried to keep her distance from him. She could see how painful those words were to him and how he had jumped into a pool to save her. "I don't need to go to the hospital, is that really what you think of me?"

"That I'm worried that you're okay because you spent six years at the bottom of a frozen lake?" Kuon asked slowly. He backed up as he held up his hands to show that he wasn't going to approach her, "I'm sorry."

"Please don't come near me until I'm ready," Kyoko said back to him as she watched him nod and wring out his clothes. He looked at her nervously.

"You'll tell me if you need me for anything, right?" he asked like a sad puppy dog and Kyoko nodded. She really didn't want to tell him what happened because he would give up on all of his dreams if he knew that the weather here was hurting her.

 **End of Chapter Twenty Six**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you, reviewers of Chapter Twenty Five**

Ashenvale: Yes, Kyoko hasn't had that much attention just yet

Brennakai: Definitely will take time 😉

KrisXD: Hopefully, he can.

Paulagato: They definitely have to have some deep conversations soon

Undertheskys: Hope you enjoyed this chapter too.


	27. Chapter 27 - Frozen

**AN:** I originally wasn't going to update this fic today but I wanted to 😊 I feel like maybe I should pick another fic to update daily since it's the second month of the year. Well I still need to pass a test to get into the next class and just have a week to do it 😊 Well hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter Twenty Seven – Frozen**

Isabella smiled as she came back home with her grandfather, she squeezed his hand before looking around surprised not to see her father. Her dad would welcome her home whenever she came back and there were times when he didn't look too good but he would still make sure she was okay when she got home. This time her dad wasn't there.

Kuu hummed as he knelt down opposite his granddaughter. "Maybe Daddy had some work that he had to do, I'm sure that Mommy's here if he isn't," he said though he was very worried about what had happened at the event. Kuon just didn't look like his usual self and maybe Kuu was putting too much faith on the fact that Kyoko was back with them.

Isabella smiled softly as she put down her bag and gave her grandpa another hug.

"Hello!" Kuu called out as he sat on the stairs with Bella and saw Kyoko coming out to them wearing a loose tee and a skirt. She smiled as she saw Bella but it was as if she were wearing a mask to hide her own emotions.

"Welcome home," she smiled to her daughter, "Did you have a good day with Grandpa, Bella?" she asked as Kuu looked at her. Something didn't seem right here either. "I made some cookies today," she said having made them to try to stable herself though the heat from the oven was slightly painful to her. She looked at Kuu unsure what to say but as Isabella left the room, she bowed her head. "I might have done something really wrong," she said and Kuu looked at her.

"How do you mean wrong?" he asked before looking confused, "Did you mess up with Julie? I mean she's a harsh woman and her words can cut you more than she realizes but she's easy to forgive people unless they arrange for her son to leave the country without allowing her a chance at a goodbye, then she won't talk to you for six months."

Kyoko looked down, "Not to Julie," she sighed, "I must have hurt Kuon."

"That's an even easier problem to solve," Kuu smiled to her, "Just talk to him. He'll forgive you and he'll do his best to understand even if it's something very complicated that takes some time and extra explanation. Kuon is so intelligent and he loves you so much."

"And the fact that I told him not to come near me after he jumped into a pool to try to save me," Kyoko said as she looked down and saw Kuu have a painful look on his face.

"I can see the problem there," he said honestly and Kyoko sighed, "Kuon has a fear of people drowning in pools or other bodies of water," Kuu attempted to explain. "It took him a lot of time to even allow Isabella to have a bath in the beginning but he's spent six years trying to overcome that fear."

"Why is he scared of people drow-" Kyoko began but Kuu looked at her as if the answer should be obvious. Kyoko bowed her head and sighed as she stared at the floor. "I just…I don't want to leave America and if he knew about the -" she shook her head and then closed her eyes as she tried not to tell what had been happening to her.

"Did you want me to talk to him?" Kuu asked and Kyoko sighed, she shook her head.

"Can you spend some time with Bella?" she asked, "Or do you need to go home right now?"

"I can stay here for a little longer," Kuu said and Kyoko stood before smoothing out her skirt and looked to Kuon's office where he had retreated to and smiled weakly. She wanted to be strong about this but she also needed to put her foot down on what she really wanted and not let Kuon overpower her due to his concern.

"I think that if I'm not the one to talk to him right now, it'll make the situation worse," Kyoko said before going up to the office.

…

…

" _So, this is where we think that she fell in," Hiroaki said as he and Kuon looked at the large body of water and the stones that were both showing inside of the lake and around the edge. It seemed like a magical place which was quite similar to where they had met as kids but Kuon could see all the dangers. He didn't know whether she had jumped in voluntarily or whether she had slipped and fallen._

" _You still haven't recovered a body though," Kuon told him as he tried to stop himself from jumping into the lake himself and searching it. Maybe she had gone off on another adventure or maybe she had hit her head but not drowned and died and now had amnesia. No, she was a famous actress. Someone would have recognized her and if she hadn't lost her memories then there was no way that she wouldn't be on set with her level of professionalism._

" _Kuon," Hiroaki said slowly and Kuon shook his head in denial._

" _No, you don't know, she could have lost track of time or maybe she lost her memory and is just still outside of the town so people wouldn't see her," he said before Hiroaki showed him a picture on his phone of Kyoko's cardigan that had been completely stained with blood and completely soaked through._

" _That doesn't mean she fell in and couldn't get out," he told the director. "It just means that somebody with an identical sweater -"_

" _We found hair on it that matched her DNA," Hiroaki tried to bring the actor to reality but the blond continued to shake his head._

" _She's alive. I know that she's alive because my heart still feels connected to her. She's alive," he said as he looked out on the lake and in his mind, Kuon couldn't see the water anymore, he could just see blood, deep red blood. "She's alive."_

 _Hiroaki opened his mouth unsure what to say to convince him of what had happened as Kuon just shivered, his head playing with him as all he could see was blood._

…

…

Kuon stared blankly ahead of him as he lay on the sofa in his office. He hadn't meant to scare her but he had his own demons that he was ignoring. He was nervous that he couldn't just switch back to who he had been. There had been so many things that had happened over the past six years and maybe the current him wasn't worthy of being with Kyoko. He looked in the mirror at himself as he imagined the younger brunette Ren standing beside him. They were so different.

He had been told that his life as Ren Tsuruga wouldn't last forever but he felt as if he had disappointed Japan's acting treasure. He took a deep breath before looking in the mirror again and imagined the younger man to be facing him.

 _Well, I thought with all of the etiquette and professionalism that you have, you wouldn't make these mistakes. It's troubling how accepting Mogami-san was of somebody like you. I tried to warn her to keep her heart strong so that she wouldn't waste time on another irresponsible blond._

"Fuwa isn't actually blond and I was trapped in that shell. I wasn't -"

 _You weren't supposed to come out. I tried my best to cleanse myself of Kuon and become Tsuruga Ren and then you just decide to come out._

"We decided to come out together, we thought that if we were honest about who we were, about who I am that Kyoko would be able to enter a proper relationship. We did it for her."

 _And yet you hurt her. You saw her face, how she wanted nothing to do with you. She fell in love with me. You were just the unfortunate baggage that I carried around with me._

"I am the proper person. I took you into me, I learned from you. I -"

There was a knock on the doorframe and Kyoko looked at him, she probably shouldn't have opened the door but she had heard him speaking to somebody. She just didn't know that that somebody would turn out to be a mirror. It had sounded like he was in the middle of a conversation with somebody else. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" Kyoko asked as she looked between Kuon and the mirror. She was pretty sure that Kuon didn't actually have a talking mirror.

"Are _you_ okay?" Kuon asked her without responding to her question and Kyoko sighed.

"I'm doing alright, could I talk to you about something?" she asked still concerned about the conversation that she had walked in on. Kuon nodded shakily before making some room on the sofa before sitting down and watching her sit down next to him.

"Sweetheart, I want to make it very very clear that I am enjoying living here with you. I like living in America. It's definitely a change but I'm really excited about it. I don't want to move back to Japan," she said and Kuon looked at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked trying to listen to what she was saying to him, she nodded and he took a breath of relief. "If you did want to move back then we ca-"

"No. I want to live with you here, with you and Bella," Kyoko looked forwards. She didn't want to worry him by telling him what had happened that day. She didn't want to cause him to have any extra anxiety. She shifted before seeing him staring at her very concerned.

"There's something else, isn't there?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him. She bit her lip and stared at the ground before nodding.

"Kuon, I think that I might need to go to have a doctor's checkup," she said as she saw the panic on his face. "I'm not sure but I think that I might…I don't know if it's sunlight or heat or…I think I'm allergic to something," she said as Kuon stared at her. He reached out to touch her shoulder.

"What? What are you talking about? How do you -" he asked as he tried to work it out in his head. Before she had returned, she had never had an allergy to sunlight. She had never been extremely sensitive to either hot or cold but… was this an effect that had come from her being frozen and having limited access to anything but the ice and water surrounding her.

"I got some skin rash for a moment, I felt that I couldn't bre-" she said but saw the way that Kuon was staring at her, she didn't want to raise his concern even higher than it already was. "I felt a little loss of control and -" she saw him get up and put a new jacket on, looking around for his keys and his wallet. "Kuon, what are you doing?"

"I knew there was something that I was missing," Kuon said as he looked around the room trying to pat down his pockets and make sure that he had everything he would need with him. "Okay, okay, I think that I've got everything so we can go."

"Kuon, sweetheart, calm down, I'm okay for right now," Kyoko said as she tried to ease the stress.

"How do you know? I can't lose you again," Kuon said as the fear and desperation came over his face. "I promised myself I would -"

"Tomorrow," Kyoko said softly, "I'll go tomorrow."

"I'll take you tomorrow," Kuon said as he looked down before taking a weak inhale, "Are you sure? We can go tonight and -"

"The sun isn't out right now so I'm fine, let's go tomorrow when the sun is out and maybe the doctor will get a closer read on what is happening," Kyoko tried to advise him and Kuon nodded shakily as he sat down next to her.

"Thank you," he whispered to her, "Thank you for telling me."

 **End of Chapter Twenty Seven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Twenty Six**

Ashenvale: A little bit of both but that will be explained in the next chapter

Crazy4Animation: I decided that it would be nice to concentrate on one fic to update daily and I really love this one. I'm debating over whether to start updating: The Voice daily since I know how I want to finish that one.

KrisXD: Kuon has a fear of her drowning but he loves the water so he's had to work on overcoming that fear still he has a complete fear of Kyoko drowning and losing her again.

Paulagato: Well they will be thinking of other solutions together in the next chapter.

Undertheskys: Well, she didn't want to at first but I think that she would since she wants to fit in with his new life.


	28. Chapter 28 - We Can Overcome This

**AN:** So, first off there are at least two things mentioned in this chapter that are going to happen so something to look forward to 😊 Also, for anyone who both works and has school, I'm not not updating because I don't want to update but I really am quite busy and I have to pass a test to get into the next class so I'm working on that. I've got five more days in which to do it so please wish me luck. Thank you for your understanding.

 **Chapter Twenty Eight – We can Overcome this**

Kuon held his hands together and rested his chin on top of them whilst rubbing his thumbs over the beard on his face. He took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. Kyoko had gone in to have her examination and he was terrified of what the results could be. He hated to say it but he was expecting them to come out and tell him that Kyoko only had a certain amount of time to live. He couldn't deal with that right now.

As he slowed his breathing, he looked around to a picture talking about what to expect during pregnancy. He had been so much younger at that time. He was twenty-five when Isabella had been born. He was twenty four when Kyoko had told him that she was pregnant and compared to the way that he was now, that man was so young and so inexperienced.

He sighed as he looked at the floor.

He really had changed a lot since that time even if he hadn't meant to. He didn't purposefully go out and say that he was going to become a completely different person, these sort of things were never planned. He hadn't planned to be a single father and to put so much time into his daughter that he hadn't noticed when he was slipping himself. He hadn't planned for his heart to break so much that it affected his mind as well. He hadn't planned any of this.

Life was never planned though. You never woke up one morning, jumped out of bed, and planned for your whole entire life to be different.

Kuon sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know where the old Ren Tsuruga had gone or if he was even able to get them back? Kuon had pretty much taken over at this point and whereas, for the most part, he had tried to live on for his daughter, he didn't really enjoy life. All of this, everything was just this mask for her sake. This fairy tale. He wasn't happy and he didn't know if, even with Kyoko at his side, he would get this happiness back, not really…

He sighed as he brought his forehead to his once again cupped hands and gave a few labored exhales. He wanted to brace himself for the worst. He wanted to hear how many months they were expecting for Kyoko to live and then he could deal with it by himself. He would do whatever she wanted. He would try to be the husband that she deserved but he didn't know how to do this.

Would she judge him for this? Would he not be able to take care of her?

Kuon's back straightened as the door to the doctor's office opened but instead of seeing Kyoko walk out, Kuon saw the doctor approach him.

"Kuon," she said as he looked up at her. He had taken Kyoko to see the doctor that he had been seeing over the past five or so years, someone that he could trust. "Kyoko is requesting that you come into the office. Are you able to do so?"

"Ye-Yes, of course," Kuon said as he seemed to stumble to his feet. He grabbed his jacket and followed the doctor in trying to have the calmest expression on his face that he could provide. Kyoko needed more than his panicking over this.

"Hi, sweetheart," Kyoko smiled as she reached out a hand for his and Kuon came over to her trying not to show how scared it was. "Corn, please don't be upset," she told him as she rubbed his arm and he stood next to where she was sitting. "It's okay."

"It might not be okay, how can you dying be o-" Kuon said without checking what he was saying.

Kyoko smiled softly as the doctor spoke, "She's not dying. In fact what she has is quite treatable. It's scary but it's treatable. Kyoko has a sensitivity to sunlight but she has a rare case of sensitivity meaning that after a couple of months it's something, with the right treatment and medication plan, can be overcome. Kyoko has told me that she wants to work hard on that and if she does work -"

"Kyoko works harder than any other person that I've ever met," Kuon said in relief as he smiled to her and Kyoko smiled back at him. "Is it heat as well? Is it the sun's -"

"It's not heat," the doctor said and Kuon looked back at Kyoko hoping that was true, "I did do some tests on that. Right now though, Kyoko is having an allergic reaction to too much sun exposure but we thought of some things together that would help with that," the doctor said and Kyoko looked up at her husband.

"I was thinking that maybe I could change to a nocturnal type of life for a little bit, though I might have to apologize to Julie," she said and Kuon weakly smiled.

"I'm sure that for health reasons she will understand and be supportive," Kuon looked over a the doctor, "but she'll be okay if she's kept out of too much sunlight?" he asked before looking back at Kyoko, "Are you sure you don't want to move back to -"

"Don't start that again," Kyoko told him before looking down, "I know this is an inconvenience."

"No, no it's…" Kuon started before smiling as he put a hand on her shoulder, "as long as you are okay and you're surviving then it's okay, we can find ways of working around it. Medication and a treatment plan and we can limit the amount of sunlight which gets in the house. Might take a few days to get that many curtains but we can do it, maybe you can stay at my parents whilst I get that done," he thought aloud and Kyoko looked at him.

"There are places where I can go in the house already to avoid the sunlight, Kuon," she said before looking at him and seeing the relief on his face. "I think that when I was frozen, I avoided sunlight for such a long time that my body doesn't quite know how to react to it but it's okay. There are many things that we can do in the dark and the doctor has already given me some Vitamin D pills so that should help."

Kuon smiled weakly as he looked at her, "I'm glad that for the most part, you're okay."

"I know, sweetheart, and I love you so much and the fact that you got so concerned over me. Thank you," she said before picking up his hand so she could kiss the back of it. "Just think about how much fun we can have in the dark."

Kuon laughed at that and nodded as he saw the cute and playful way Kyoko was watching him.

"There's another thing as well," the doctor said, "Kyoko asked me about fertility when I was doing her investigation and the good news is that yes, I see no problems in the two of you conceiving another child."

Kuon looked at Kyoko with a shocked but still happy smile, "Really?" he asked her as he let his hand comb through her hair. "You'd really consider having another child with me?"

Kyoko laughed as she squeezed his hand, "Of course, why wouldn't I want to have a second child with my amazing husband?"

Kuon shifted awkwardly, "Kyoko, there's something that I'd like to ask you but not here. Outside when it's just the two of us," he said and Kyoko nodded before starting to get dressed again. "Should I leave?" he asked and Kyoko pointed to the chair.

"You stay right there, you're the only man who can safely watch me undress," she said with a wink as Kuon laughed, glad that there were ways of dealing with this health scare. The doctor smiled and left the two of them there. Kyoko grinned at Kuon, "See, we can work on this, we can all stay together, so can you tell me what you wanted to ask me?" she asked as she stood there without clothes on.

Kuon smiled softly, "Would you be open to coming to my next few therapy appointments?" he asked her and Kyoko paused before blinking.

"Of course," she nodded quickly with a smile as she looked at him trying to figure out what he really wanted to say. "Sweetheart, of course I'll come with you. Is there a reason?"

Kuon smiled softly, "I just realize that I haven't prioritized myself first for a long time and I feel like I've lost who I was, I want to get back that person." Kyoko started to look confused, "I know that it's not Ren Tsuruga but I feel that you should have a husband who knows who he is."

Kyoko froze, "but I love the husband that I have no matter what," she said slowly as she looked at him. She wondered if she had heard that correctly or whether Kuon really was saying that he wanted to be a person who matched what she apparently wanted. She looked at him before laughing softly, "Kuon, think about what you're saying to _me_ ," she said and Kuon looked back at her. "I know who I married and I wouldn't have married him were I not to love him."

"Even if I had gotten fifty pounds heavier?" Kuon asked her and Kyoko thought for a moment, "You have to figure that one out?"

"No, I'm just wondering how you would get that much heavier since you don't eat," Kyoko told him as he chuckled, "but yes, if you want to start focusing on being the person that _you_ want to be inside, of course I'll go to your appointments with you."

Kyoko finished getting changed and then looked at Kuon as she reached out to touch his cheek. "Kuon, I'm really sorry that I scared you and that I yelled at you. I don't even want to think of how I would feel if things were the other way around. I know that you think that I might love Corn the fairy prince or Ren the actor but those two wouldn't even be here if you weren't here. Remember when we acted as the Heel siblings and I learned more about the real you. That wild and yet adorable man is the one that I love and he loved me back."

"I will always love you back," Kuon nodded as Kyoko stood from the hospital bed once she had put her shoes on.

"Even if I get dementia?" she teased and Kuon looked at her and nodded.

"Yes. If that happened then I would take care of you. I'd be extremely worried about you but I'd take care of you, I love you," he repeated and Kyoko smiled again.

"And if I got fat then you'd still see me as beautiful?" Kyoko asked playfully.

"I would still see you as beautiful," Kuon grinned as he took her hand and squeezed it as they headed out to collect the paperwork. "I feel like I should be holding an umbrella over you, why don't you stay in here and I'll run to the pharmacy for you?" he asked and Kyoko shook her head.

"We'll go together and I don't want to see you panicking," she said to him as Kuon smiled and nodded.

They could definitely overcome this together.

 **End of Chapter Twenty Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter Twenty Seven**

Ashenvale: I tried to change it but that was an interesting story, I might have to check that movie. It's heat from too much sun exposure so it's both the light and the heat but the main cause is direct sunlight. I'm kind of tailoring it to me since I'm actually allergic to the sun myself but at a lesser extent.

KrisXD: Thank you very much for that high compliment 😊

Nu2: Thank you, Kyoko really wants to work on her relationship with the husband she loves so much.

PaulaGato: Glad you enjoyed the chapter 😊

Undertheskys: 😊 Hope that you enjoyed this chapter too.


	29. Chapter 29 - Midnight Browsing

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this. I'm going to have to start rereading Skip Beat since I felt a bit of writers block for this chapter.

 **Chapter Twenty Nine – Midnight Browsing**

Kyoko looked over to her husband as she sat in the little office he had created for her over the past few days. She did like having a space to herself and he had even been thoughtful enough to put a sewing machine and craft equipment in here. She looked at the time and reached over to hold Kuon's hand. "Honey, just because _I'm_ trying to be nocturnal doesn't mean that you have to be as well."

Kyoko lifted Kuon's hand to her lips and kissed it as she took the tea that he had brought to her. It had just turned one and Kyoko knew that the thirty-two year old actor was actually going to start shooting for his movie that day. He should be getting his rest instead of staying up with her.

"I like being with you, knowing that you're doing okay," Kuon smiled as he watched her, "Maybe I should bring in some boxes and you can sort through them, see what you actually want to keep and what you'd like to replace."

Kyoko smiled as she shook her head, "I'm okay. If I want the boxes, you've shown me where they are. Now, my prince, you really have to rest. After you are done with your filming, you can come back here and we can nap together but the doctor said that a couple of days with a changed sleep schedule for me right now is best."

"So," Kuon sighed, "You're telling me to go to bed without you?" he asked and Kyoko kissing his hand again.

"I know, but at least we're both here and if I'm sleeping when you get back then please just get down beside me and hold me?" she asked and Kuon looked at the time once again. He _did_ have to get to the set by seven so she did have a point. He sighed again before kissing the top of Kyoko's head.

"Promise me that if you need anything at all, you'll wake me up?" he asked and after she nodded, Kuon wrapped his arms around her securely. "I love you. I love you so much," he said and Kyoko reached back to squeeze his hand.

"I love you too. I'll love you even more if you go to sleep for me," she said and Kuon sighed before leaving the office and going to their bedroom. Hopefully this overcoming sunlight wouldn't last _too_ long a period of time.

…..

…

Kyoko smiled after about an hour of Kuon not coming into the room and she turned towards the computer. She had really been wanting to start watching this mini series that Kuon had had a supporting role in. She loved seeing her husband act and this one she was excited about for her own reasons. Despite her jealousy towards another woman being shown love and affection by the twenty-nine-year-old Kuon, she was excited because he had acted with brown hair. It was like witnessing how Ren would look ten years older than when she had met him.

She had thought that his work had been incredible before but as she watched the way he acted, making the entire environment around him flow to him as if he were the one in control and in charge, she realized how deep the emotions were. This wasn't what he had won an Oscar for but for this Kuon had been nominated for a Golden Globe and she could see why. She didn't know whether it was bias or the truth but Kyoko definitely felt that he deserved that rather than that actor in Forrest Gump.

Kyoko grinned as she pulled a blanket around her and took in how amazing the man she married actually was. She smiled as she thought of that. Kuon was incredible on paper. He was funny, intelligent, athletic, talented, and very kind. He worked hard and had a lot of professionalism when it came to his work. Still, she knew the real Kuon and she knew how he had a deflated ego unlike a lot of men in his situation.

That was what she liked best about Kuon, not that he beat himself up but that he actually didn't look down at people and he treated everyone in the ways that he would like to be treated himself. She smiled as she thought about how he happy he had looked when they had gotten married. She always wanted to see him with that kind of a smile on his face.

As Kyoko was looking at the screen in front of her, she heard a soft tapping at the door and turned. She blinked surprised to see Bella there and paused the movie. "Hi, Bella. Did I wake you up, princess?" she asked gently as she stood to walk over to her.

"No, you didn't," Bella said before she tried to wipe away some tears that were in her eyes, "Mommy do you have scary dreams?" she asked and Kyoko nodded.

"I do," she replied, "Sometimes they are really scary. Did you have one Bella?" she asked as she knelt in front of her daughter and pulled her tightly into her chest.

"Yeah, I dreamt that Daddy left us. Daddy didn't want to be here and he left because he was sad like that one time and I don't want that to happen. I don't want Daddy not to be here," Bella said as she cried into her mother's chest. Kyoko wrapped her arms around Bella closely as she thought about her own relationship with her mother and her fear of being abandoned but Kuon wasn't like that.

"Daddy asked Mommy to do something special for him today which I hope is going to make Daddy really happy," Kyoko smiled before looking back at the mini series, "Daddy loves acting so much, let's watch him act together and then you can get back to bed, okay?" she asked and Isabella sniffled.

"Please make Daddy stay with us?" the little girl pleaded to her mother.

Kyoko nodded slowly, "I promise that I'll do my best. Now just take deep breaths, let's watch Daddy's show together." Kyoko cuddled the little girl close and kissed the top of her head, "I love you so much, my little princess."

Bella relaxed in her mother's arms and smiled, "Daddy calls me that," she said with a grin and Kyoko laughed softly.

"I know," she grinned as Bella snuggled into her arms.

…..

…

Kyoko sighed as the morning sun came up and she realized how exhausted she felt. This was going to be harder than she thought trying to transition to this new life, it had been hard enough before there were any complications caused by the sunlight. With a deep breath, Kyoko stretched her arms up and tightened the blind on the window. The doctor had told her that after a few days, she would have to incorporate regular sun exposure but not today.

She looked at the movies that she had watched. Bella had fallen asleep again twenty minutes after she had come to find Kyoko and Kyoko had tucked her daughter into the bed. It was watching her father smile that had helped her keep calm. At least when he was acting, Kuon could express the emotion of happiness.

Kyoko was about to get up and go to find some breakfast when there was a knock on the door and she rolled her eyes with a happy smile. She opened it and looked at the bowl of fruit that was on the tray her prince was holding. "Good morning," she smiled as she kissed him. "You're up too early."

"I'm up a sensible time," Kuon argued, "Listen, I have to get going in about half an hour but I wanted to bring you something to eat. Yashiro has very kindly volunteered to drop Bella off at her school and then I'm going to be at the set until this afternoon. Is there anything else that I can help with?" he smiled before laughing as he stopped himself from being overly caring, "I do love you so much."

"I know you do," Kyoko nodded, "I love you too."

"So, how was your first night?" Kuon asked and Kyoko smiled to him.

"I watched some movies, looked up a few things on the internet," she grinned happily, "My wonderful husband has a lot to be proud of. I'm certainly proud for his many many accomplishments," Kyoko told him and Kuon walked over to her.

"You don't need to say that if it isn't what you -" Kuon looked at the way that Kyoko was just staring at him, "What?"

"Your therapist told you to trust in me more, didn't he?" she asked and Kuon nodded, "Then trust me when I say how proud I am of all the things that you've accomplished. You're an amazing person and I'm happy that I get to stand beside you."

Kuon laughed softly, "Well I'm married to a beyond amazing woman."

Kyoko looked at him as she thought about something that she had seen on the websites that she had looked at. She wondered whether or not to ask him about this. "Uh, Kuon," she said as he looked at her nervous about how she was speaking to him, "Can I ask you about something?" she asked and Kuon nodded and sat down.

"Yes, of course," he said as he looked at her anxiously and Kyoko pulled up Shou's fan page and Kuon looked away knowing where this was going. He watched Kyoko do a search in the user bar and pull up the forum posts for 'HamburgerRockThrower.'

Kyoko turned to look Kuon face on, "Honey, I love you, but are you trolling Shotaro?"

"Kyoko," Kuon said slowly, "Sometimes when people feel a lot of stress because of their daily lives and they don't want to hurt themselves, they sometimes project how they are feeling onto someone else. It's a psychological outlet and although online trolling does have its nega-"

"Do you think I'm disappointed in you?" Kyoko said since she had seen the way that Sho had sent some awful tweets about Kuon. Kuon had always knocked them back and people seemed to regard Kuon as a god of acting and when it came to Shou he was just a flea attempting to suck into Kuon's skin and talent.

Kuon looked at her confused, "You're not disappointed."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry if this ruins your idea of me and if it does I'll be more worried about your memory than anything else but I don't know whether to feel more shocked or excited. I mean, yes, it's not the most mature but if doing this gets you to stop thinking about ending your life then….can we share the account?" Kyoko asked and Kuon sighed as he bowed his head.

"I don't troll anyone else," Kuon tried to explain to her as he looked a little worried about that, "I mean, I don't hurt other people but it's part of -"

"Sweetheart," Kyoko said as she wrapped her arms around him and let her head rest on his upper chest by his shoulder, "You don't need to explain to me why you do anything on a psychological level. I love you. I know you. I saw you as Cain Heel undergoing all of that pain, I know when you first came out as Kuon and they dug up that dirt on you. I know you used to have streaks of violence and maybe you still do. If trolling Shotaro helps you and keeps you alive without physically hurting him, then I'm proud of you."

Kuon laughed, "I wonder if it's only you who would be proud of me for insulting Fuwa."

Kyoko laughed, "Isn't that how we met the second time, of course the situation was reversed."

Kuon nodded, "Very fair point," he told her before kissing the top of her head.

 **End of Chapter Twenty Nine**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for those who reviewed Chapter Twenty Eight**

Ashenvale: I don't have it that bad and it developed more when I was in my early twenties (I sound sooo old). First of all, I've never liked the beach because of crowds. When I was a sophomore in high school, I used to get migraines due to the low sunlight and I would have to crawl up in bed and go home sick from school just because of them. When I was working in a cupcake shop in my early to mid twenties I got hives up my arm because of the heat and because my skin was dry. The next year I was feeling faint and my body actually ran out of oxygen. Now, because of the concussion, I'm even more sensitive to it

Brennakai: Yep, time to start healing and I have to ask, did you mean great when you said grassy?

Erza: I'm trying my best. I have to get to 95% and today I got to 87% but there's only three days left.

KrisXD: Well they do love one another.

Paulagato: Kyoko really wants to be Kuon's support and get through this together 😊

RichkeyZero: Yes they will 😊


	30. Chapter 30 - Harmony in our Family

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this chapter 😊

 **Chapter Thirty – Harmony in our Family**

" _So, you don't even want to contribute to this family?" Kuon asked as he glared at Kyoko. He looked away before sighing, "You know, I've gone out of my way to pretend to help you because it would harm my popularity if I was just to cast you onto the streets and how do you repay me? You act like some princess who doesn't even do anything to deserve the life that I give you. I'm done with you."_

 _Kyoko froze as she looked at her husband, the glare slicing up her heart. She looked at him and saw the cold way in which he was looking at her. She hadn't seen this for such a long time._

" _Kuon," she said before he pushed her backwards and she fell down._

" _I'm done with you. Why do you think I've been so upset, it's because I have to deal with you again," he said before opening up a door behind him and Kyoko looked at him nervously. What was he doing? Was Kuon actually saying these words to her? She felt so scared and alone._

" _Mommy, this is what you get," Isabella said as Kyoko could smell some nauseating cologne and saw Shotaro approaching her. "You win the booty prize."_

" _Huh," Kyoko blinked before looking around._

" _Come here, my princess," Sho said as he walked over to Kyoko and wrapped his arms around her tightly as Kuon and Isabella walked off whilst holding hands. For some reason Sho's embrace was feeling tighter and warmer and -_

Kyoko blinked her eyes open to find that she actually was being held in somebody's arms but as she rolled over to look at the man who was spooning her, she smiled as she noticed that Kuon had actually fallen asleep with her. She smiled at him as she just watched the way his face was so calm and peaceful. Maybe she really could heal him.

"Hi, my sweet Corn," she smiled as she pressed loving kisses into his chest. "What time is it? How did work go?" she asked with a yawn as she saw Kuon open his own eyes once she had begun to talk to him. He smiled as he looked at her as if she were the most beautiful person in the world.

"I think I did well, there's a lot of stunts involved in this one," he told her as Kyoko let her fingers go into his beard. She didn't even know how to describe how much she loved him. She nodded and tried to curl up closer to him. "I hope that I'm portraying the character to the fan's expectations," he said and Kyoko laughed gently at that.

"I'm sure you are, you always take such pride in your work and I'm sure that the character's fans will accept you in that role, when does the movie come out?" Kyoko asked as she continued to caress his cheek.

"It's coming out around fall but there's going to be an exclusive showing at Comic Con and you do not have to go with me. It's just that since this is a superhero movie, I'm expected to be at the panel and answer questions and I'm scared of disappointing the fans," he said before smiling. "I brought you something, a friend of mine took them for me without the director knowing."

Kyoko sat up in the bed as she looked at him and then took the photographs that he offered her. People still took photographs like this? She smiled excitedly as she saw Kuon dressed up as Oliver Queen and him in the disguise. She was really going to be looking forward to this movie. "Is there a premier before then?" she asked and Kuon nodded.

"Only about a week before," he told her, "Sometimes superhero movies take years to do so this one is actually being worked on a shorter time frame. The sets are amazing and when we go on location to shoot then that is going to be amazing," he smiled as Kyoko could see the old Kuon who loved acting more than nearly anything coming through. She wanted to support him with all of his dreams.

"I want to come with you," Kyoko smiled as Kuon's grin widened, "That's okay isn't it."

"Yes, that would be…thank you," he whispered and Kyoko shook her head as she got back down into the bed with him. She let her fingers run over his cheeks before kissing him passionately.

"Is there going to be merchandise for the movie?" she asked and Kuon nodded, "Okay, I want to buy all of the merchandise that features you on it. I think I'll put posters of my wonderful husband all over my office," she said as he closed his eyes with a smile still on his face.

"Don't feel that you have to," he told her and Kyoko took out her phone. She went into her email before pulling up a purchase she had made that day for a large sized fox pillow. This was the fox that Kuon had voiced and she knew that when she was sad, she could imagine him with her and that would definitely rejuvenate her.

"I bought this today so that I can always have someone to hug," she said as Kuon laughed at that.

"You are the best," he said and Kyoko shook her head.

"I'm not the best," she argued, "I just am in love with my amazing and talented and handsome husband even if he does go online and troll my childhood friend. You know that Shotaro deserves it. Do you do it maliciously?" she asked and Kuon hummed.

"I wouldn't characterize it that way. Of course, first he said some stuff about you and I wanted to hurt him for it. I didn't want to stop protecting my wife. Then it became more…entertaining for me to rile him up and watch to see what he would do and how he would respond. I thought that since I was doing it to get a reaction from him, he would have me blocked and track my IP address but somebody said that it was a mark of a good celebrity to be able to deal with fans so he's tried to argue with me to defend his own pride and status for years."

Kuon looked at Kyoko as he saw that she was actually happy that he had said that. Kuon still knew how immature it was just to send someone into a spiral where they weren't sure how to handle the criticism. Maybe the outlet was better especially since Fuwa was always making comments about Kuon and even Kyoko, but it still was pissing someone else off to make yourself happy. He should grow up from being that kind of a person.

"Bella told me that she had fun with you this morning," Kuon smiled as he looked at his wife, "I really want the two of you to get along. I really want harmony in our little family."

"I know you do," Kyoko said as she curled in closer, "I know you do."

…..

…..

Kyoko grinned as she took out the ingredients to make a chocolate brownie cake. She had learned from Kuon all about Isabella's love of both chocolate and especially brownies and Kyoko had thought it would be a good evening activity for the two of them to partake in. She grinned as Isabella came into the kitchen.

"Are the ingredients ready?" the little girl asked and Kyoko nodded with a soft laugh. Isabella went to a stool and pushed it over to the island before getting up. She watched Kyoko as she moved everything the two of them would need to the central surface. "Will Daddy like it?" Isabella asked and Kyoko smiled.

"I'm sure he will but Daddy eats things in moderation so he might eat it slowly. I'm sure he'll enjoy it very much though," Kyoko commented as Isabella looked at her.

"I hate your mother," she said before she covered her mouth with both of her hands. She hadn't meant to say that but it was the truth. Kuon had told her that she never should tell anyone that they hate their mother or father but Isabella had somewhat feared having a mother because of how she had been treated by her grandmother.

"I don't hate her," Kyoko said uncomfortably, "but I do understand what you mean, my mother is a special type of person," she said before looking at Isabella and showing her the two different types of chocolate. "So, what do you think we should use? Should we use the milk chocolate or should we use the dark chocolate?" Kyoko asked. She had originally prepared to use the milk chocolate thinking that's what kids tended to like but she had decided to give Bella a choice so that she felt more in control of what they were doing, more involved.

"Dark chocolate," Bella pointed and Kyoko tilted her head to the side. She smiled before putting the milk chocolate powder away for the time being. She watched her daughter curiously.

"Why the dark chocolate, Bella, the milk chocolate is sweeter," she said and Bella smiled.

"I know that, I like eating milk chocolate too but…Daddy's favorite is the dark chocolate," she announced proudly. "Just like Daddy loves having black coffee and he always prefers to not have sweetened ingredients when he's cooking for himself. Daddy does have a little sugar in things that I make him though."

Kyoko nodded, "You love your Daddy very very much, don't you?" she asked as she pointed to the start of the recipe and Bella followed the instructions.

"Daddy is my hero," Bella said before looking down, "I know that sometimes Daddy is really sad and sometimes he's even a little angry but he tries really really hard. Even if we're both sad at the same time, Daddy will ask me what's wrong for me and then he'll try to cheer me up. Daddy always makes sure that I'm okay and he's always trying. He loves me even when I make mistakes."

"I'm sure that he does, that's the type of person that your Daddy is," Kyoko agreed. She thought about all of the kindness that Kuon had shown to her even before they had started dating or even started being on friendly terms.

"It's sad that you missed his birthday," Isabella said as Kyoko nodded. Since it was March she'd have to wait an entire year, maybe she could think of another way to celebrate him.

…..

…

 _Kuon awkwardly came into the kitchen of his house. It had been two years since Kyoko had passed away and turning twenty-eight without her was making him want to throw up. He would continually be turning older each year and so would Bella. In fact, years into the future, Bella would pass her mother and be older than her. Kyoko was stuck at twenty two, she would never have the chance to celebrate another one of her birthdays again._

 _Kuon heard a noise downstairs and immediately wanted to get back into bed and ignore what day it was. He didn't want to be social, he just wanted the one birthday wish that he would never get. He just wanted Kyoko with him again. Even if he had to sacrifice everything – with the exception of Bella – he just wanted Kyoko in his arms again, to see her smile again._

 _Finally, Kuon walked down the stairs to see his parents there. He looked at them and sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I really wish that we were-" he said as he tried to tell them not to put any further effort into his birthday. He was stopped though as he felt his daughter, just a toddler, pull on his pant leg._

 _He smiled down at the tiny girl, "Hi, princess," he said to the two and a half year old. He noticed that she was holding something up to him, a large piece of paper that she had scribbled on and he crouched down opposite her. "What's this?" he asked as he took the card in his hands and the little girl laughed._

" _Happy Birdday," she said before hugging him. Kuon smiled as he held her to him and picked her up._

" _Thank you," he said as he kissed Bella's cheek, "Thank you, my precious Isabella."_

 **End of Chapter Thirty**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Twenty Nine**

Ashenvale: Maybe I'll show it later 😉

Brennakai: Well, hopefully a little more about why he trolls Sho is explained in this chapter

Erza: Still working hard 😊 I hope to pass it today. It was actually hard for me to write because I felt unmotivated. Lack of motivation to write is how I define writers block. As for the question, a little bit of each.

Guineapigs1: Well, that's exactly why Kuon thinks it's so funny.

Kris XD: Well, who says you always have to be mature 😉

Ktoll9: Maybe I'll show them later 😉

Loyalty Counts: I think it's because I'm British but live in California (different sunlight levels). Glad you like this chapter.

Paulagato: Yep, Bella and Kyoko need more time together and so do the three of them together

Undertheskys: Hope you enjoyed this chapter too


	31. Chapter 31 - During Therapy

**AN:** I didn't pass my test but it's okay because now I feel as if I can do three classes next semester without it being too much work on myself 😊 so you know silver linings. I am also going to try to update fics more again and hopefully that will happen as well 😊

Also, happy early birthday Ren 😊 wonder if he'll appear in the manga this month 😉 Isn't there a 25% chance that he will and not just in Kyoko's mind?

 **Chapter Thirty One – During Therapy**

Kyoko smiled as she looked between Kuon and the therapist. She really did hope that she wasn't intruding even though Kuon had explained to the therapist what he thought the benefits were of having her involved in the therapy. Kuon reached over for her hand and tilted his head to the side, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I…yes, we're here to discuss you," Kyoko said quickly, "We're here to discuss what's wrong with you. I mean, I don't think that there's anything particularly wrong with him," she said as she looked over to the therapist who took down a note on this, "Are you writing down evaluations for him based on what I'm saying. I'm not saying very much, I…"

"Why don't we think about what is happening between the two of you right now," the doctor suggested and Kyoko looked at Kuon. "What do you think is happening?" he asked Kuon who chuckled softly.

"Well, I think that Kyoko is trying to make sure that she's not giving me a bad mark," he said as he shook his head to her to tell her that she wasn't. "Even when we didn't really like each other or I liked her but I had to keep that a secret and she didn't like me, she would always push herself past her limit to take care of me. It's sweet as long as she's okay," he rubbed her arm as Kyoko bowed her head with a weak smile.

"I still respected you, your personality just threw me off," she said with a soft laugh. "Then we got to know each other more and more."

The therapist nodded as he looked between them, "Kyoko, I've only been working with Kuon since after you were declared dead. I know that he can have a very serious and very gloomy personality, would you say that was right?" he asked Kuon who nodded, "Was that the kind of behavior that you didn't like of his?"

"No, it wa- it wasn't tha-" Kyoko stuttered and Kuon laughed.

"What my wife is attempting to tell you is that I was a bit of an ass and a bit of a jerk, to her more than anybody else. I loved her for a long time but because of Rick and because of what happened around the Rick situation," Kuon said as he smiled painfully remembering that, "I didn't want to get close to anyone. I would always tease her and play around with her. I guess I acted like one of those prepubescent boys who dips the girl's ponytail in the paint."

The therapist smiled at this seeing a new light to the client he had been working with for so long.

"You weren't that bad," Kyoko said, "I was just kind of naïve as well during those times, there was this one time -" she froze before stopping and smiling back at the therapist. "I'm sorry, this is Kuon's session. I'm just here for emotional support."

"It's good to hear your stories too especially the ones relating to Kuon," the therapist told her but Kyoko shook her head.

"I'm okay, this is -"

"What is it, princess?" Kuon asked as he turned to look at her, "Which particular situation came to mind?" he smiled to her as the therapist continued to take down some detailed notes.

"It was just after my seventeenth birthday," Kyoko said as she looked at the floor, "I had the best birthday of my life to that point. My birthday is actually on the same day as Christmas and I usually didn't celebrate it but I got these really wonderful gifts including a rose that Kuon got for me that had a jewel hidden inside but I hadn't found that yet. I was so busy just drifting off looking at them that I was seriously late for a professional meeting to do with my next job. I came to the job where Kuon and I were and I felt completely defeated. Kuon…or Ren…or Kuon, which one was it?" she asked as she looked at her husband.

"Ren told you those words but I thought of them," he said with a weak smile. He was happy that he had been working with this therapist for so long. These things didn't have to be explained to him.

"Well, Ren told me that he was disappointed in my professionalism and was only going to give me a short time to get ready for my work there as it was making the situation even worse. I managed to work that day just because of how Kuon guided me." Kyoko smiled happily and Kuon took her hand, rubbed his thumb over it and brought it to his lips.

"That's the same way you've dealt with Bella in the past, isn't it?" the therapist asked and Kuon laughed softly.

"I mean, how I treated Kyoko was a lot less parental than the way that I treat Isabella. Bella's only a child so sometimes she needs things explained to her," Kuon said and the therapist nodded as he made more notes.

…..

…..

 _Bella stared frustrated at her math homework as Kuon ironed his professional business shirts behind her. He kept an eye on the little girl as she tried to figure out the multiplication work that she had been asked to do. The six year old groaned as she leaned forward and slumped her body onto the table. "Daddy, I don't know the answer."_

" _I don't think you should know the answers before you try," Kuon said as he started to iron some of Bella's dresses, "Did you try, princess?"_

" _Well, I tried really hard but…if I don't know the first one then why would I know the second one?" she said before looking at Kuon who had turned the iron off and was coming up to crouch down next to her._

" _Let me see this," he said as he took note of the first problem. "Bella, what are you talking about?" he asked as he kissed the top of her head and Bella looked at him confused. "You made one little slip up here," he pointed it out to her, "See how we have three negative numbers? Well that's going to be a negative there too in the answer because it's an odd number, this first negative cancels out this second negative." He showed her and Bella sighed as she looked at the answers. "Just concentrate on it one step at a time, princess," he said as Bella watched him and saw how he gestured to the first two numbers and that she could write in the space above._

" _Was Mommy good at math?" Isabella asked her father and Kuon smiled gently._

" _Your mother was so intelligent, she was more intelligent than me that's for sure and I always got put in the top groups. I was a pretty smart kid, I just didn't really concentrate on school so I didn't go very far after high school. I actually graduated high school in Japan," he trailed off and Bella blinked at him. "Anyway, what your mother sometimes did was she tried too hard and worried too hard. If there was a problem she would desperately try to solve it because she knew it could be solvable but you know, when she calmed down and reflected, she showed everyone how intelligent she was."_

" _Would Mommy be frustrated if she couldn't get that first question?" Bella asked and Kuon smiled._

" _I'd like to say that I helped her to see that she could let things go, that she could relax and make mistakes. I think that your mother wouldn't have let that question beat her but she'd move onto the next and then loop back around," Kuon smiled as he hugged her close, "Now, I'll put the clothes away and be right back."_

" _Did you ever help Mommy with her problems?" Bella asked as she looked at her dad with such familial love in them._

" _I'd like to think so," Kuon nodded as he put the clothes on a pile and folded the ironing board back up._

…..

…..

The therapist continued to smile at the two of them as they discussed how many times Ren Tsuruga had helped Kyoko. However, that previous comment seemed to be casting a shadow over the conversation. Was this the attitude that he had earlier? Why had he tried to live in the shadows instead of going back into the light? You didn't need to date to be living a joyous life.

"I guess I haven't really been fair to Kyoko," Kuon sighed and the Japanese woman looked at him confused. "I…I've been so focused on trying to be a good father and a good actor for the last six years that I forgot who I was. I make time for myself sometimes but I feel as if I've lost touch of who I am, the person that I am inside."

Kyoko looked at him sadly and wrapped her arms around him, "Honey, whoever you need to be. I love you. We can do things together, it'll be a lot of fun. I mean, do you remember when we tried to redecorate the nursery?" she asked him as she pulled back and brushed his hair back with her fingers.

"When you got excited and put a hole through the wall with the hammer?" Kuon laughed and Kyoko smiled.

"Well, I was really excited," she told him, "plus you were the one who kept telling me to take it easy and that I shouldn't lift things and to leave you with all of the work."

"You were pregnant," Kuon laughed as he attempted to reason with her.

"And I hopefully will be again soon," she said as she kissed his cheek.

"It seems you both have the same energy for life underneath all the sadness," the therapist said before nodding to Kyoko. "I can understand why Kuon loves you so much," he stated before turning to his client. "Have you been trying to place more trust in her?"

"I have, sometimes I get caught in my own head and Kyoko is the one who manages to spot that and pull me out. I know that my dad does that too but with Kyoko, she doesn't even need to try we're connected," he said and Kyoko smiled as she looked down.

"So, how do you feel about this?" he asked and Kyoko smiled again.

"I believe that we're connected. I have a lot of faults myself but Kuon has never held them against me. I really am very very happy that I get to be with my husband again. If he had moved on to be with anyone else then I would have felt very lonely," she said before closing her eyes and bowing her head, "I know that's selfish of me. I mean it's even selfish that I -"

"That you what?" Kuon asked her and Kyoko looked at him.

"I'm sorry that I missed your birthday last month," she apologized to him as he looked at her in shock, "And I'm sorry that I didn't go to the Academy Awards with you last month to see you get your Oscar. I feel like I've missed a lot of very important things in -"

"Please don't think like that?" Kuon asked, "I'm just happy that you're here with me. There's nothing that I want more than that. Also," he said as his eyes lit up, "You can be my date for the award ceremony next year since I'll be presenting an award," he told her and Kyoko nodded.

"Then it's a date," she said.

This time she didn't even pay any mind to the fact that the therapist was still continuing to take down notes on the most important man in her life.

 **End of Chapter Thirty One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Fanfiction Net is being weird and a lot of reviews aren't showing up so I apologize if I miss you since these are all from emails.**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty**

Crazy4Animation: Thank you, much appreciated 😊

Erza: I think I might move to Seattle or Portland one day in the not too far future 😉 Thank you.

Loyalty counts: Thank you so much. Well, that was Kuon kind of saying that if Kyoko hadn't come back to life she wouldn't have aged because no life no age change. It's kind of like this movie: The Lovely Bones, were Susie sees her sister get older than her after she's dead. It's just like my grandfather will always be 83 even though, if he were alive today, he would be 90.

Kris XD: I honestly feel like all of the people who read 'The Little Prince' enjoy it so much more than I do. To be honest it's definitely not my favorite but people seem to really love it. Well thank you, I will hopefully continue putting my work here.

Ktoll9: Definitely

Paulagato: Isabella definitely is a huge source of strength for Kuon


	32. Chapter 32 - Addicted to Those Lips

**AN:** This is kind of a slow chapter but I really wanted to focus on Kyoko's side of things when it came to Kuon again. Soon there will be a little more activity. I was going to update yesterday but went to work early and then went to dinner and had a margarita and a martini and nobody wants to read what I write after I have alcohol.

 **Chapter Thirty Two – Addicted to those Lips**

Five days later, Kyoko had managed to get in cycle with her new nocturnal lifestyle and she had finally arranged a double date with Yashiro and his wife. She was excited but still a little hesitant. This was a woman that her friend and Kuon's best friend had fallen in love with enough to marry and have a son with. She was really happy for him but she needed to make a good opinion on her. She didn't want to make Kuon feel awkward about her.

Kyoko was just getting ready to go to bed when she heard a knock on the door. She blinked confused since Kuon had gone to work and had dropped Isabella off at school. She sighed, tied her hair back, and put on a sweater and jeans before rushing to the door. She paused as she remembered how heavily guarded the place was and one would have had to have a working thumb or finger print to even _get_ to the door.

That calmed her down a little bit.

She heard a knock again and saw a figure sitting down on the step in front of the door. She froze before unlocking the door and taking the security chains off as well. Her grin grew as she saw that the person outside was her amazing father. "Father!" she grinned as Kuu turned to her.

Kuu laughed as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Did you jump out of the shower just for me?" he asked as he turned to come in and Kyoko looked down awkwardly.

"Father, it's okay, it really is okay," she said quickly as she put up her hands and tried to convince the man opposite her that she would be willing to jump out of many showers just to spend some time acting as his daughter. "Come in, would you like to have something to eat or drink? We have some doughnuts that Kuon bought for me and Isabella."

"Can we talk about Kuon?" Kuu asked and Kyoko nodded immediately.

"Sure, is there something wrong?" she asked nervously and Kuu shook his head.

"Not at all," he told her before smiling. He sighed and Kyoko watched him, she didn't want to know that there was something about Kuon that she didn't know. He had been telling her a lot and they were going to go to the therapist again in two days. Still, Kuon had needed to have someone look out for his interests and she appreciated that Kuu adored his son as much as he did.

"Kyoko," he said slowly, "I…this is going to sound very much like a stalker, but I've been keeping note of different triggers which affected Kuon over the years." He took a folder out of his bag, "I'll let you tell Kuon about all of this if you want to review the information with him but I want to make sure you're aware of what's going on with him."

Kyoko bit her lip and nodded, "I'll go over these with him. If there's anything wrong then I want his to tell me when he's ready. I don't think he has a split personality if that's what you're going to tell me," she said and Kuu shifted awkwardly.

"I don't think that, Kuon does believe that he has two sides but he thinks of Ren as an abstract that he can use. I'm just," Kuu sighed as he pushed a hand through his hair, "I'm his dad, I'm allowed to worry about him," he tried to joke and Kyoko nodded in agreement. "Especially since he's tried to jump off a building. I mean seriously," he said as tears came to his eyes. Kyoko's own eyes widened since she wasn't expecting for her father to start crying.

"I've been trying to keep him calm," Kyoko said before sighing, "Father, I know that he wasn't just worried about what had caused my death when he got depressed. I'm relieved to know that it wasn't just me who hurt him, as sick as that might sound. I think that Rick's death left him with a lot of wounds which have never been able to be healed. Rick was a very important and very special friend to Kuon and he saw his own actions lead to his friend's death. He moved away from you and Julie and he was scared that you didn't love him anymore, he was scared that he had disappointed you so much and put a black mark on the Hizuri name that he didn't want to hurt anyone anymore. He's been lonely because of that but he changed into such a strong and mature person."

Kyoko took another breath in, "When he met me he felt able to go back to being Kuon but shortly after that he was told that I was dead. I knew he depended on me and what I thought of him so he just had a pattern of being alone and I can definitely relate with that. I don't want to apologize for being angry about that and I don't forgive him but I do understand and I'm not going to hold it against him."

Kuu smiled at that again and Kyoko nodded, "I love him. I'm going to keep myself aware of what's going on for him. I promise, I will do all that is in my power to heal him."

…..

…..

 _Kuon looked down as he sat in the mental health facility where Kuu had taken him after he had been helped by the doctors following his suicide attempt. He tried hard to grip to his own maturity but he couldn't help but feel empty inside. If he had been a better father to Kuon would this have happened, would any of this ever happened. He had to tell himself that if things hadn't happened in the way that they had then Isabella wouldn't be there but Kuu didn't know whether the rest was worth it._

 _He wasn't a trained professional, he hadn't even spent as much time as he should being a father. Maybe if he was a better father then he could have persuaded Kuon that they could beat the rumor of his sexual misconduct. He had more power than that woman and what was more important was that he had more powerful connections than Jessica could even dream of._

 _The doctor had asked to talk with him and see if Kuu was able to take care of someone who had tried to kill themselves. There was a lot that he had to know and Kuu wanted to be as ready as possible and give Kuon the support that he needed. His love for Kuon was unconditional and he wanted to prove that love._

" _Would you like to see him before we talk?" the doctor asked and Kuu immediately stood up._

" _Yes, of course, of course," he said and followed the doctor to where his son was sitting just staring into space. He didn't seem okay and with all of his walls torn down around him, Kuon seemed to be struggling more than Kuu had ever seen him. Kuu nodded to the doctor before approaching his son._

" _Hi," he said as Kuon looked up at him._

" _I'm so sorry, Dad," he said as Kuu felt a little chilled by the depression that was in his eyes. His son definitely didn't look like himself, "I'm really sorry,"_

" _I know" Kuu said as he put a hand on his son's shoulder, "We can get through this together. Your mother and I are here for you, okay?" he asked and Kuon gave a shaky nod. "I'm going to see if I can get you checked out today but I need to know that you will fight, if not for yourself than for Bella."_

" _I don't know how to apologize to her, "Kuon said sadly as he wrapped an arm around himself. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, "Dad, I am so so sorry."_

" _We'll take it one day at a time," Kuu tried to comfort his little boy, "One step at a time, one day at a time. You are so loved, Kuon. I love you so much," he tried to remind his son and Kuon laughed weakly._

" _Why?" he asked and Kuu smiled again._

" _Because you're my son, I don't need another reason although I do have many."_

….

….

Kyoko looked down at the folder after Kuu had left. She wondered whether she should look in it before Kuon came back. Kuu obviously cared so much about his son and he had kept a watchful eye on him to try to keep him alive. Kyoko was impressed by how much time and care Kuu had put in to nurture his son as a single parent. Her mother would never have done that, never been so scared that she could die and leave the world.

Kyoko smiled weakly as she held the folder in her hands but then bowed her head, she wouldn't look at it. She would wait for him to tell her the important things. She looked at the time and tried to count how many hours she would have to sleep. She had to try to think of the good things like that there were other people keeping an eye on her husband to keep him safe.

She went to the bedroom before curling up in the bed and smiling as she thought about how much she wanted to protect her husband who had always done his best to take care of her. She drifted off to sleep again.

After a number of hours, Kyoko woke up to find a warm body next to her and she smiled. This was a daily occurrence, Kuon would come down and after getting himself changed from work and maybe taking a shower, he would curl up next to her and they would just enjoy being next to each other. This time Kyoko didn't say anything and just pretended to be asleep. He had seemed so exhausted recently, if this was something that made him feel good then she wanted to provide it for him. Plus, the fact that it made _her_ feel really good was an additional bonus.

Was love really able to protect him from the dark thoughts within his head? Was her presence there with him enough for him to take control over those thoughts? He had been able to do so as Ren Tsuruga but then she had never really known how tightly he was keeping the locks on Kuon until she had seen him act as Cain and realized there was a significant part of him that she hadn't been able to understand.

She closed her eyes again as she thought of her wedding and how happy he had looked when she was walking down the aisle. She wanted to give that to him again. She wanted to heal his heart and shield it from all of the pain. Was she strong enough to do that for him? She rolled over and saw him open those beautiful emerald eyes as he looked at her.

"Hey," he smiled, "Did I wake you?" that was always his question whenever she would acknowledge that he was holding her.

"No, I woke up by myself just a few moments ago," she said before looking at him and letting her fingers go through the beard again. "It's so strange to see you with a beard," she said and Kuon looked at her curiously.

"You don't like it?" he asked, "I'm only going to keep it for this movie, I'll shave it off af-"

"I love it," Kyoko said, "I love your look no matter what?"

"Even if I turned into a beast?" he asked and Kyoko giggled, he had asked that question a few times now.

"I've always wanted to be a Disney princess," she replied before kissing those lips that she had an addiction to kissing.

 **End of Chapter Thirty Two**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty One**

Kris XD: Glad that you enjoyed it 😊

Loyalty counts: Very glad you like it. I try to add flashbacks when I can.

PaulaGaTo: Well most relationships have to be tested and it's the love that one has for their spouse which keeps a family working well together.

Undertheskys: Thank you, hope you liked this one too


	33. Chapter 33 - Old Acquaintances

**AN:** I hope you enjoy this chapter 😊 Also, I have the feeling that I mentioned Yashiro's wife by name and occupation before but then I searched through the chapters and I couldn't find it. If there is a huge discrepency then please let me know and I apologize for that

 **Chapter Thirty Three – Old Acquaintances**

Kyoko smiled to her husband as they walked out to where they would be meeting Yashiro and his wife for dinner. Yashiro had married a woman who worked within the celebrity world as a counselor who could be talked to about anything from being called a fashion wreck to being found behind the wheel high as a kite with a prostitute in your arms. You went to her when you wanted a strategist who also had a doctorate in psychology. Hana Yukihito.

Kuon had spoken so highly about Hana and apparently this was something that most people did. She kept her mouth shut as well as any federal agent and she always took on an unbiased and objective stance on anything even if you were a very good friend of hers. That was what made her so respected as well, she thought strategy. In her personal life she wasn't like that though, she was sweet and giving and Yashiro adored her the most.

They had gotten married two years after meeting and their son was three at the present time. It was a happy family unlike the one that Kuon had had. She had helped him with that due to her mother being friends with Kuu and now the two families lived on the same plot.

"What do you think I should say to her?" Kyoko asked awkwardly as she tried to straighten the buttons that she had on her coat over her designer dress. "Is there anything that she's allergic to?"

"Hana is amazing, you don't need to worry about anything," Kuon attempted to assure her.

Kyoko shifted before nodding as she squeezed his hand, "You're right, thank you sweetheart," she smiled to him as he nodded. She continued smiling at Kuon as the two of them went to the restaurant where she and Kuon found Yashiro and Hana waiting for them. Hana was about Kyoko's height with smooth, thick rimmed glasses that looked designer rather than nerdy. She wore a blue button blouse and black pencil skirt that made her body look much smaller than Kyoko's ever had.

"Uh—hi," Kyoko said as she dropped down into a bow, "Hi, I'm Kyoko Hizuri, it's very nice to meet you," she said with a blush as Yashiro watched her with a smile as he remembered how polite and sweet Kyoko had always been. Kuon grinned as Hana followed suit and bowed to her.

"Hana Yukihito, it is an honor to meet you. I now know why the high praise your husband always gives to you was an understatement," she said as Kuon laughed a little. "Yashiro has also told me a lot about you as well. I hope that we get to be good friends."

"I'd like that," Kyoko said, "I know that we live very close so I hope that you can feel comfortable enough to call in for a snack or a talk."

Hana nodded, "I'll keep that in mind though, no matter how close we live, I must say that I always like to plan things beforehand so as not to be an inconvenience," she said and Kyoko nodded as well.

"I'm the same way," she laughed quickly and Hana turned to Yashiro.

"Honey, let's go get the table," she said as she patted his arm, "I hope that you enjoy some good meat," Hana said to Kyoko who nodded.

"Definitely, fish as well, I lived with a couple who owned a restaurant when I was sixteen. They were almost like adoptive parents to me, I owe them a lot," she said and Kuon squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. He knew that Kyoko would want to call the Darumaya couple her parents but didn't feel as if she had a right to do so. She always acted as if she were some kind of curse to the couple. He didn't want her to think like that especially not if it affected her happiness. Maybe one day she would be able to ask them what he knew they felt too, that the three of them were another type of family.

…..

…

 _Yashiro had arrived in America less than a month ago and he had spent the first week or so arranging things and setting up an apartment for himself. He had dared himself to go on this journey because he was so sick of not being adventurous. Despite the fact that Kuon still phoned him from time to time and the two emailed one another nearly every day, there wasn't that rush of excitement anymore from being Kuon's manager. Maybe after a year they could get back their old dynamic together._

 _At that time, Kuon was discussing with a talent counselor about how to address the questions about his sexuality and relationship now that people all over the country were talking about him as the new star to watch. A lot of people said that Kuon should hire somebody to act as his girlfriend but he couldn't do that. If they didn't want the widower who still believed he was married to his dead wife then maybe he shouldn't be in show business to begin with._

 _Kuon was that committed to her._

 _Yashiro didn't know why America would have these special therapists and psychoanalysts for everything. There were even therapists for dogs and whilst Yashiro loved dogs, he didn't know how much a human therapist could do for a dog client. Maybe a dog therapist for a dog client but that form of payment would be hard to calculate on human ter-_

" _Hey, didn't know that you were actually going to meet me here," Kuon laughed as he exited the room. "Hana Nelson, this is my good friend and manager, Yashiro Yukihito. Yashiro, Hana is the advisor for how I'm going to deal with the dating problem."_

" _Maybe finding a new way of wording that would help," Hana winked at him before smiling to Yashiro._

" _Oh," Kuon paused before shaking his head, "no that's not…I'm…" he looked down depressed and Yashiro nodded._

" _I actually was best man at Kuon's wedding so I know his devotion to Kyoko. She is an amazing woman," he said having learned that Kuon had a bad reaction to the past tense being used to refer to Kyoko. "I actually have some work to discuss with Kuon so I'm thinking that we'll head out in a couple of minutes, if that's alright?"_

" _That's fine, we're done for right now but I'll be back in three weeks," Kuon said and Hana nodded,_

" _All right," she said with a smile, "I'll see you then," she turned to Yashiro and smiled, "I hope I see you again as well, Mr. Yukihito."_

…..

…..

Kyoko smiled at her husband as she saw him ask for a box for his entrée. She shared a look with Yashiro knowing that Kuon really hadn't improved in the volume of food that he ate. She did have hope that he would eat later though, the food was delicious here and she had enjoyed the salad that she had chosen so much even though it had been bigger than she had thought.

"Does anyone want dessert?" Hana asked as she smiled to Yashiro. Kyoko looked at Kuon with a soft smile.

"You want to share something sweetheart?" she asked as she put a hand to his wrist, "there's a delicious chocolate cake and we can share it," she said and Kuon nodded.

"Sounds good but I'd also like to get one of these chocolate raspberry tortes to go," he said and Kyoko looked at him. Kuon really wasn't one to choose sweets. She could see Yashiro and Hana looking at him knowingly and she tilted her head to the side.

"For Bella?" she asked before nodding, "but she'll have to have it tomorrow after school," she said and Kuon grinned.

"Deal," he said before the waiter came over and they ordered. Kuon's phone buzzed in his pocket and he sighed before looking at the number which had phoned him.

Seeing the troubled look on Kuon's face, Kyoko pressed lightly on his arm. "Go answer that sweetheart, I'll order for both us and Bella," she said before kissing him and seeing Kuon nod and go outside after thanking them for their understanding.

Hana laughed as she saw Kuon leave, "That man is as devoted to Bella as he is to you," she said and Yashiro laughed.

"You should have see the two of them before they got together, Kuon was always wanting to compliment her and show her how much she loved her and Kyoko was scared of getting in to close. Bella has been amazingly taken care of though. It's all because of Kuon that she has such an optimistic and hopeful personality though he doesn't."

Kyoko nodded at that, "I've always known that he'd be a good dad, I'm just really glad to experience this with him." Kyoko looked down as she thought of the possibility of having another child with Kuon. She'd love it if they were able to have a little boy, Isabella's brother. However a girl would be good too. She just wanted a happy family with Kuon.

"Are you thinking of staying over here?" Hana asked and Kyoko nodded.

"I don't want to go anywhere else, I only have one home and it's with him," she said as Yashiro chuckled at that. Kyoko looked down, she didn't want to admit that sitting here with the two of them made her feel as if she were a child. They hadn't chosen to be fifteen years older than her but it felt very nerve wracking as if this was a dinner with her parents friends….if her mother had even acknowledged her existence.

"Kyoko, is everything okay?" Yashiro asked as he studied her.

"Nothing," Kyoko smiled back, "I'm just realizing how old Kuon is," she said but then smiled as she looked down. She saw Yashiro and Hana share looks with one another as if trying to figure out whether Kyoko had just told the two of them that she felt uncomfortable with her husband. They didn't want Kuon to know about this; however, for Kyoko, Kuon was the one person she really didn't see much of a difference to in terms of age. He would always just be Kuon to her.

The waiter came along at that moment and Kyoko turned to him. She knew that she would love Kuon unconditionally even longer than she would live. Her love for her fairytale prince was all that she wanted and she trusted in him completely not to let it break.

…

…

As Kyoko and Kuon approached their door, Kyoko took a step back to look at her husband. Kuon turned to her before smiling in a way to try to make her see that everything was okay.

"It was just work, they want me to work late on Saturday and I thought that was okay. If it's not then -"

"It's fine," Kyoko tried to reassure him before laughing. "I just know that you could be fifty years older than me and I'd still love you the same amount. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I love you," she said before seeing a blond young woman approaching them.

"Is that why you didn't call me to tell me this was going on!?" the woman said as she looked at Kuon completely hurt and Kyoko took a step back. This woman looked very very familiar but Kyoko wasn't letting it click in her head. The woman closed her eyes and walked over to Kuon.

"Kuon-nii," she said as Kuon wrapped his arms around her, "You didn't tell me that she was here. You and Granfather are -"

"Maria?" Kyoko asked in surprise. She took a few steps back in shock as she looked at the woman only three years younger than her. Now this was definitely shocking.

 **End of Chapter Thirty Three  
Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty Two**

Kris XD: Glad that you liked it

Loyalty Counts: Definitely loves him 😊 It's okay, if you've ever read how I write it's basically the noise that's in my head coming out at an average of 80wpm.

Undertheskys: Glad you liked it 😊


	34. Chapter 34 - Maria Part One

**AN:** I just want to say that my main thing is drama and overcoming difficult situations. Even in my more work oriented fics: The Lake in the Park, It's Just Like Magic, and The Voice, a lot of it is based on drama and relationships between characters. If you're wanting to read about work then I suggest you look elsewhere because that's just not my style. If you're looking for emotional writing then I hope you enjoy.

Also, Maria is going to be in next chapter as well.

 **Chapter Thirty-Four – Maria :: Part One**

 _As Kuon sat by himself in LME with a dark cloud around him, he was approached by a thirteen year old girl. Maria was currently wearing a Lolita dress and shoes with her hair trickling down her shoulders like a waterfall. Since Kyoko's passing, Maria had put a black streak in her hair and carried around a grey flower pin with an amber ribbon. She approached the man that she had once had a crush on as a little kid._

" _Kuon-nii?" she asked as he looked up at her with dead eyes, "What's being said about you by Kanae-san," she said and Kuon shook his head._

" _I'm not going to judge her for her grief, Maria," he said before gesturing for her to sit next to him. "You have any more declarations of love?" he grinned as he took in how beautiful her now developing bod had become. She was now a teenager and she was extremely popular but she wasn't going into acting. She preferred to design Gothic accessories._

" _Some, they are annoying, did you get them in America?" she asked and Kuon nodded._

" _I don't think they knew how twisted I would get," he said as Maria examined him. He looked like he had risen from the dead, he looked as if he hadn't slept in decades and that his body could crack and blow away like sand._

" _So this is your last time at LME, that's what grandfather said," Maria asked as she sat down and pulled her knees up so she could wrap her arms around them._

" _For a while, yes. I think right now I have to prioritize Isabella and that's going to be better with my parent's helping me. I'm useless as a dad," he said and Maria put her legs down on the ground so she could wrap her arms around him._

" _Definitely not a useless dad, plus you'll always be my big brother," she smiled to him and Kuon hugged her back._

" _Thank you, Maria," he replied, "You're a great little sister."_

…

…

Maria looked over at Kyoko whose face seemed to say that she didn't want to see her. Maria turned to Kuon as if to ask whether she had done something in the past that would have hurt Kyoko but he shook his head and looked at his wife.

"Are you okay?" he asked her as he wrapped his arms around her again, "You remember -"

"I have to go inside," Kyoko said and Kuon looked between the two women and offered Maria a very sad and sympathetic smile, "You can stay out here," Kyoko replied, "I need to be by myself."

Kuon nodded before watching her go and gestured to Maria to join him by the swimming pool. He sighed as they walked and looked at the nineteen-year-old. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. There's just been so much to cope with. I know that you would have flown from New York as soon as you heard."

"Did you know that she was going to react this way?" Maria asked before putting a hand to her heart, "I still consider her my big sister. I've always looked up to her, always wanted to be her a little bit. Did I do something wrong?"

"Maybe she's tired or still in shock," Kuon said as he went to sit down on one of the seats by the pool, "I'll ask her about it later. I'm sure that it's a misunderstanding and that the two of you will be friends before you know it."

Maria shifted at that but nodded again. "How is she though? She must be hurting a lot."

Kuon hummed, "Funnily enough, she doesn't show it, she still shows how much energy she has and how loving and passionate, she's trying her best to reconnect with Isabella. Bella's starting to warm up to her as well. I had thought that her interactions with Bella would be the most difficult for her, I really didn't think that she'd react this way towards you."

Maria sighed, "Kyoko knew me on the other side of being a teenager," she thought as she ran her fingers through her curly hair. "I've finished middle school and been through high school and I'm nearly done with college. She missed all of those years. It must just be hard for her, there was more of an age gap between us before."

Kuon shook his head and sighed as he turned to look at the moon. It was soon going to be a full moon. He knew how much Maria had loved casting spells in the moonlight when she had been a young teenager and young child but she had moved on from that when she had started going to fashion school in New York, Parsons actually. It was easy for her because that's where her father lived and the two had become close. Maria still managed to make time to visit him and Bella though.

"Do you ever feel as if you're breaking the law?" Maria asked as Kuon blinked and tilted his head to the side quite confused by that comment. "With how young she is and the age gap. If you were really thirty-two and she was twenty-two that would mean that she had been born when you were ten and at twelve she would have been a toddler."

Kuon shook his head, "Actually I don't but then Kyoko is past the age of consent. She makes me feel young again which is a hard thing to do when you've lived a life like mine."

Maria sighed, "I still love you, Nii-san," she told him as Kuon laughed back.

"I still love you too, little sister."

…

…

After Maria had left to go back to the beach house that the Takarada family owned only a short car ride away, Kuon entered the house and went to the bedroom. During the time in which he and Maria had been talking to one another, Kyoko had taken off her makeup, showered, and dressed into comfortable sweats so that she could spend another night looking at pictures of Kuon and trying to plan a time when she could be a model again. At the present she was sitting on the bed with a distant look on her face.

"Hi, princess," Kuon said as he approached her and sat down on the bed next to her, "Anything wrong? Maria asked me to apologize for her just turning up, we didn't know it would upset you. I think that she just really wanted to see you."

"Everyone's older," Kyoko said and Kuon hummed and nodded.

"That's what's going to happen over six years but you get to be with everyone again. I wish that those six years hadn't passed the way that they had but nobody is blaming you for them. It was an accident and we're so thrilled to have you back with us," Kuon tried to tell her. "Maria just -"

"When I met Maria she was seven," Kyoko told her husband who nodded.

"Yes, Maria was just a little girl when the two of you started to get to know each other and become friends. She's always acted more mature that she is but yes, she's grown up from being the little girl that came to see you during the Kyurara commercial but she's happy, she's reconnected with her father -"

"She has the body of an adult," Kyoko said and Kuon sighed as he swept his fingers through his hair again. "I just didn't want to see her. She was so much younger than me and now she's -"

"She still considers you her big sister, she still wants to get to know you again," Kuon tried to comfort his wife but he couldn't understand why the age difference between the two of them didn't bother her and yet seeing Maria as an adult woman had affected her like this. "I mean, is it strange for you that -"

"It's strange for me to see her as an adult," Kyoko told him, "You were already an adult, you were twenty-six and there's less of a difference between someone who is in their mid-twenties and somebody who is in their early thirties."

Kuon sighed, "I'll give you time but if you do want to see her she's staying here for a week and then she has to go back to school," he said and Kyoko shifted.

"Can I think about it?" she asked nervously and Kuon nodded as he kissed her on the forehead.

"Of course you can," he said though he really did hope that the two women could connect. Was it weird seeing someone younger than you much older? Was it weirder to feel an age gap shrink rather than grow? Kuon didn't feel that he would _ever_ have answers for those questions.

…

…

 _Kuon was tidying the house more than usual that day as Bella watched him. They had just come back from Japan where they had met with Saena and Bella wasn't really interested in meeting any of Kuon's old acquaintances from back then. She had met with Maria before, or at least she had been told that she had, but she couldn't remember meeting with her. She didn't want someone like that cold and cruel woman. The world was already filled with witches._

" _Daddy, is she really going to get mad if it's messy?" Bella asked. Her daddy had acted in a similar way towards their clothing when they had gone to see her other grandmother. Was this person as critical as them?_

" _I don't think so," Kuon told her, "but it's always nice to make a good impression on people and making the house look nice and neat is just one way of doing that."_

 _Bella hummed. She heard a buzz from the main gate and turned to look at her father who went to check who it was and allowed her to come in. Bella picked up to a fox toy that was the character that her daddy had played in the recent Tinkerbell movie._

 _Kuon smiled as he went to the front door, "Come on, Bella, I think you'll love seeing Maria, she's Boss's granddaughter but she moved to New York where her dad works. She's really a wonderful person and she's one of your mother's friends."_

 _Bella looked at her dad skeptically before sighing and stood up to go and put her shoes on to meet this woman. As she exited the house, she saw her daddy approach a beautiful young woman who wore a cute black shirt and grey blouse and had amazing hair. She was truly a beauty queen._

" _Hey," Kuon said as he wrapped Maria up in a hug, "It's so good to see you again."_

" _It's good to see my big brother as well," Maria smiled before looking at the little girl on the steps. "Is this Bella, wow you've grown so big," she said excitedly. "You're so beautiful," she squatted down in front of her, "I think the two of us are going to have a lot of fun together today," she smiled and Bella smiled back._

 _This woman definitely didn't look like the scary queen that was in the fairytale, she looked like a beautiful princess from a far off land._

 _Bella smiled happily, "Good to meet you," she said in an adorable manner and Maria grinned in the same magical way that Kyoko used to._

" _It's my honor to meet you," Maria said as Bella looked at her dad who was smiling at the two of them. This woman seemed nice. Bella was excited to give her a chance._

 **End of Chapter Thirty-Four**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty-Three**

Guest: Well I had to include her 😊 I know lots of people say she's going to be an actress but I much preferred this route for her.

Kris XD: I wish we could see the older versions too 😊

Loyalty counts: Neither does Kyoko, Kuon is always a bit self-conscious though because of his experiences. Well Kyoko is starting to get nervous at so many new people.

Paulagato: Well you would think 😉

RichkeyZero: Glad you liked it and Maria really wanted to see Kyoko 😊

Rumly111: This fic actually never said anything in the summary about it showing that, but thanks for reading


	35. Chapter 35 - Maria Part Two

**AN:** I hope you enjoy this chapter, it actually felt easier for me to write it so I hope that you like it too 😊 I think it shows what Kyoko would be thinking in her current situation very well.

 **Chapter Thirty-Five – Maria : Part Two**

Maria sighed as she sat at a café in downtown Los Angeles. She hadn't wanted to come to the house in case she upset Kyoko and she knew that Kuon would finish filming around this time. She rolled her eyes as she saw a few guys take notice of her. She had dated a few different boys over the years but she cared more about her work in the fashion industry and taking care of herself. Her 'big brother', her father, and her grandfather were the most important men in her life. She grinned as she saw Kuon enter and waved him over.

"Hey," she grinned as he came to sit opposite her, he appeared a little exhausted. "It's good to see you,"

"Yeah," Kuon nodded before sighing as he looked towards the bar, "Would you like anything?" he asked and Maria smiled.

"You know what I like," she grinned as Kuon went to the counter to order a caramel latte and a black coffee. Maria sighed as she watched him, his body still revealed to her how sad he was and she knew the intricate details of his body language. Even when Kyoko was here, he was pushing himself emotionally.

As he returned to wait for their drinks, Maria bowed her head. "Is she mad at me?" she finally asked and Kuon shook his head.

"That's not the reason. I think that certain things are going to be difficult for her to grasp right now, trust me, the way she was talking to me about what happened, she's not jealous of you," Kuon smiled as he looked down at the table. "I guess that means that she really does trust me."

"Does that surprise you?" Maria asked, "You've always been extremely devoted to her and I ended my crush when I was ten, thank you very much," she teased him. "You knew me when I was six and still was lost about the world and I met her a year later. If it wasn't for the two of you, I might not have been able to have this life so thank you, big brother."

Kuon chuckled as he heard that, "How's the new boyfriend?" he asked, "Taylor?"

"Tyler," Maria said with a gentle prod, "He's doing well. He's actually studying business and economics which Grandfather is excited about. I'm not looking to marry him or anything but Grandfather always loves when there's someone who could take charge of the family business after Dad."

Kuon smiled before hearing his name called out and whilst a few people did turn their heads, he went to get the coffee and brought it back to the table without paying attention to anyone else. Maria gratefully accepted her cup.

"So," Kuon smiled as he sat down, "Kouki finally agreed to run LME?"

"I think he's going to give it to a board of advisors but make the final decisions himself, it's going to be strange when Grandfather retires but I know that Sawara-san is going to have some influence in how the company is run. I think Dad trusts his opinion over his own."

"True," Kuon smiled before looking at Maria, "Listen, I know that you really want to see her but -"

"If she's not ready then it's okay," Maria nodded, "I guess she still thinks of me as someone much younger than her, her little sister. Before she fell into the cryogenic status I was nine years younger than her, now I'm three years it's a little intimidating."

"She accepted me for the increase in age -"

"Because she adores you and because there are still parts of you that are just like a big kid. Adolescence is the time when you change the most, you've definitely changed from when you were posing as Ren but they've been smaller changes. I've just seemed to transform to her, the image between who I am now and who I used to be must be kind of jarring for her," Maria smiled thoughtfully before taking another sip of her drink.

"I'll try to talk her into seeing you," Kuon promised before Maria looked at him with a teasing smile.

"Before you call Fuwa an outdated, unoriginal copycat who has never heard of a throat lozenge?" Maria winked as she teased him. "I do know what your username is," she smiled before putting a hand on Kuon's and looking at him concerned.

"But you're doing okay? This isn't too much of an emotional rush for you? You're going to be okay?" she asked as she showed her concern as his little sister.

Kuon nodded and Maria smiled weakly. She really hoped that he was doing okay.

…..

…..

 _Maria glared at the man opposite her, she was seventeen now and had just graduated from the New York high school that she had attended. Her father worked in New York now and the city was perfect for Maria's tastes. She could finally bond with her father whilst exploring different cultures. She had conquered her fear of flying in a plane years ago and that meant that she was able to visit the Hizuris. She had heard what had happened from her grandfather though and that made her angry._

 _Kuon had tried to kill himself after a nasty rumor about his sexually harassing a woman. She had thought about all of the bugs that she had used to scare women off when Ren was a young twenty-year-old. She wished that she had been able to scare off all undeserving women that way._

" _I'm so mad at you," she said to the heartbroken man, she wrapped an arm around herself, "How would she feel if she was here? If she saw you in that moment of weakness?"_

" _You mean Kyoko?" Kuon asked as he looked up at Maria in complete exhaustion._

" _Who else would I mean?" Maria asked before poking his forehead. He looked at her surprised and Maria shifted in her seat, "Why do you have to be so stupid?" she asked before taking a deep inhale. "Sorry, but…don't do that again. Don't you dare give up again," she told him._

" _I really am sorry, I didn't mean to hur-" Kuon started but Maria cut him off again._

" _Don't spend your energy on feeling sorry about this, use your energy to get better. Be a father and teach Bella about her mother. I love Kyoko but Bella has grown up without her. Who is going to share who her mother wa-is with her if it isn't you?" she said as she tried to stop the tears from falling down her face._

 _Kuon looked at her and nodded before Maria wrapped her arms around him. She felt badly that she hadn't spent enough time with him to keep him from feeling this way but when they were separated by a whole country, it was extremely hard to do._

…..

…..

As Kuon arrived home that night he saw that Kyoko had already woken up and was preparing a meal for the three of them. He took a deep breath in as he tried to think about how to approach the subject of Maria. He hoped that the two women would be able to be friends again, he knew how important they were to each other.

He took an inhale to steady himself and walked over to his wife, "Princess?" he asked as she hummed, "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course," Kyoko said as she turned to him after cleaning and drying her hands, she saw the hesitation on his face and she reached over for a stool to sit down on. She watched him, her eyes taking him in and all the small body gestures that she was relearning. Was he afraid of talking to her? "Kuon, what is it sweetheart? Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened but is there a reason why you acted that way to Maria yesterday?" he asked her and Kyoko tensed.

"I thought we discussed this," she said as she tried to dodge the subject. She looked back at the steak that she was going to cook with potatoes and vegetables. Couldn't she just prepare a meal for them? "I don't want to see her, I feel weird around her."

"Why do you feel weird? She loves you, she treasures the memories of the two of you," he said and Kyoko looked at the table.

"It's stupid," she told him and Kuon sighed.

"Kyoko, since you've come back, you've learned a _lot_ of stupid things about me, who am I to judge? Are you jealous of her? Jealous of how close the two of us are? It's just that I've known her since she was a small child and when we've needed someone to suppor-"

"I know that you and Maria are not romantically in love with one another, I'm not that stupid," Kyoko sighed and Kuon stared at her.

"I'm not sure that I understand," he told her honestly and Kyoko looked at him. She took a few inhales and exhales to calm her nerves.

"I met Maria when she was a seven-year-old child who looked up to me like a big sister," she saw Kuon open his mouth to comment on that so she spoke slightly faster, "I thought of her as a little sister. She was somebody sweet and innocent that I could guide through life, I could be a role model for her to look up to. Even when she was thirteen I thought that the wisdom that I had gained would allow me to act like her older sister," she said and Kuon nodded slowly, "She's all grown up now. I can't take the place of her big sister as I used to. We're nearly the same age."

"So you're mad that she grew up?" Kuon asked and Kyoko shook her head.

"No, that's not the case either," she sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "I'm not mad at her, I understand that it had to happen but I'm sad and I'm scared that I'm not going to be able to occupy the same role in her life," Kyoko bowed her head as a few tears appeared in her eyes, "She doesn't need me anymore."

Kuon walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her so that she would be able to find strength and comfort in him. He knew that wasn't what Maria was thinking but it was a shock. A person's personality and appearance and even morals changed a lot when they went through their teenage years. He wondered now how she was accepting Isabella who had changed even more than Maria had.

"It's okay," he told her as he decided it wasn't the time to press the subject any further, "It's okay, but she would still love you to be her big sister," he told her and Kyoko shook her head so he kissed her on the top of the head a few times, "She would. She still thinks of you as her big sister."

Kyoko's body shook as she cried. Okay, he really wouldn't approach the subject any more for tonight.

…

…

The next evening, Kyoko had requested that Kuon would arrange a meeting where she and Maria could meet in a public place and so he had made the two of them a reservation at a restaurant whilst he stayed home with Isabella. Kyoko felt a little awkward about this. How could she still be seen as a big sister to this young woman who had grown up without her being able to watch her do so.

As Kyoko pulled her jacket tighter as she stood outside the restaurant, Maria approached her.

"Hi, nee-chan," she said as Kyoko shifted and smiled at the woman hoping that everything would go well.

 **End of Chapter Thirty Five**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty Four**

Erza: It's nice to hear your thoughts but it's not jealous over Kuon, I hope that this chapter is able to show that.

Kris XD: Well I imagine a nineteen-year-old Maria this way even though she might have had her brattish moments as a kid

Loyalty counts: Well Maria still thinks well of her 'big siblings' but she really wants to be friends with Kyoko again

PaulaGaTo: It's not jealousy but seeing someone younger than you at your same age is jarring in someone's mind

Richkey Zero: Yes, difficult for both of them.

Undertheskys: I'm glad that you liked it 😊


	36. Chapter 36 - Maria Part Three

**AN:** I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is the final wrap up of Maria for right now 😊

 **Chapter Thirty-Six : Maria – Part Three**

Kyoko felt her breath catch in her throat once she heard Maria call her that. She smiled softly as the memories of the time that the two of them had spent together came back to her. Kyoko waved to her 'young' friend. "Hi, I'm so sorry about before and -"

"Please don't apologize," Maria smiled, "It's been a long time and I have changed but I don't think that still changes how I feel about you. You'll always be a big sister to me and I'll always remember when we went to spy on Kotonami-san," Kyoko's eyes opened wider for a moment hearing that name being used, "and when we arranged our thankful parties. If it wasn't for you then I would never be who I am today so thank you."

"You're welcome," Kyoko said as she tried to think over what was said and Maria looked away guiltily.

"I just can't call her Kanae after what happened," Maria attempted to explain and Kyoko watched her curiously, "I'm sorry. I know that nobody needs to know this but I'm Team Kuon 100%," that made Kyoko look at her even more surprised, "The guy has his problems but he's my big brother."

"Are you talking about what she said about him murdering me?" she asked and Maria looked at her with her own surprised expression.

"Oh, I didn't….I didn't think that Kuon would have ever told you about that," she hesitated as she tried to think through it. Was Kuon still angry at the way that he had been treated? She hadn't believed that he had been angry in the first place. Had he changed during the time she was in college?

"Kuon didn't, it was Moko-chan who did," Kyoko said as Maria nodded and looked down guiltily.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't want to say anything but I have a problem with her and I've never been able to forgive her. I'm a bit stubborn sometimes," Maria admitted and then looked at Kyoko with a weak smile. "Especially with someone who has helped me so much even though he's struggled himself for six years, Kuon feels like my big brother and I had some moments that he's helped me with."

"Kuon's like that, everyone keeps telling me how helpful and devoted he is," Kyoko replied before gesturing to the restaurant, "Like tonight, shall we go in and use that reservation that he booked us to catch up?" she asked and Maria nodded.

"Sounds good, this place has really nice food, when Grandfather came to visit Kuon's dad, all six of us went out to eat and Kuu really does eat a lot," Maria giggled and Kyoko laughed too. She was well aware of Kuu's superhuman stomach capacity.

Kyoko walked into the restaurant to see that it really was swarming with activity, as Maria went to the front desk though there was a look of recognition as she gave Kuon's name and before Kyoko knew it, the two of them were being shown to a private room. Kyoko thanked the hostess and sat down at the private table.

"Just so the two of you are informed, Mr. Hizuri has already taken care of the cost of the meal and any drinks, sides, or desserts you two lovely women might decide to order. Please feel free to ask for anything you'd like," she said and Maria nodded.

After the hostess had left, Maria put her elbow on the table and slid down in a manner she used to do as a child as well, "I thought that he'd do something like this," she commented sounding slightly annoyed. Kyoko turned to her and hummed. "He always tries to give other people the world but has a problem when people try to do the same for him. It's hard having such a selfless big brother."

"You mean a selfless husband in my case," Kyoko smiled. She sighed, "He thought I wanted to move back to Japan so tried to change our whole life to do so even though I knew that he'd created this whole world for himself and Bella here and I want to try living in the home that he earned."

"He does that," Maria said as she looked down thoughtfully and Kyoko watched her. "Take care of him, okay. I have a feeling that he's more messed up than he thinks he is and I'm still worried about him. I have these dreams some nights where he's no longer here and," Maria tried to brush the tears away that had just come into her eyes as she picked up a menu, "The soup is really good but I think I'm going to have a house salad for tonight."

Kyoko looked at the menu again and then looked up to Maria who was trying to get over the thought of Kuon, Kyoko didn't know whether to bring her husband up or not. She was really worried about him but she wanted to learn more about what Maria was doing and how she was getting on in her life.

"So, you're in college?" Kyoko said as she looked at the steak dishes.

"I'm at Parsons," Maria smiled, "It's a design school in New York, currently I'm living with my dad but he did offer to pay for an apartment for me. I don't think that's necessary though, we have guest rooms but I do have to be taken by a driver since Dad's a little worried about me on the subway. New York is amazing though."

"You like it there?" Kyoko asked as a waiter came into the room. Both Maria and Kyoko ordered and the waiter left telling them that he'd have their drinks back shortly. "Is your grandfather upset that you're not going into acting?"

"Grandfather loves it, he says that he will only get me to make his costumes from now on," the younger woman replied as she smiled nostalgically. "As strange as he is, both Grandfather and Grandm-oops, she'll hunt me down for saying that," Maria said as she put a hand to her lips and Kyoko grinned.

"Did he and Jelly finally get married?" she asked excitedly, "I know that they were dating for a while."

"Yes, but she refuses to be called mother or grandmother, so both Dad and I call her Ten," Maria replied as Kyoko smiled hoping that both of those people who had helped her in the past were happy.

"I'm happy for the two of them, are you seeing anyone?" she asked and Maria grinned.

"I am. My boyfriend's name is Tyler, he's a very nice guy who is studying business management. He's the American CEO of a video game company but he's more interested in the logistics of business than playing video games. I still have some tests that I have to put him through before we discuss moving in together," Maria smiled as she gave a wink to Kyoko who remembered her tricks when she was a kid and didn't want people getting close to Ren.

"Do you have a photo of -"

Maria took out her phone before Kyoko could even finish her question and she showed Kyoko a picture where she was sitting on a brunette guy's lap who looked eerily similar to Ren. Kyoko didn't know whether anyone had ever pointed this out to her or now and Kyoko didn't want to be the one to do so.

"He always looks a little familiar to me," Maria said as Kyoko tried to hide her surprise, "but I can't place it. If we're still dating the next time I come to visit, I'd love for you to meet him. I think that you'd approve."

"I'd love to meet him," Kyoko smiled happily, "He looks like he's taking care of you well. How old is he?"

"Twenty, so only a year older than me," Maria said as she looked back at the phone again and laughed. "You sure you won't judge me for falling in love?" Maria teased and Kyoko shook her head.

"I would be a hypocrite because I can't foresee a way of me falling _out_ of love with Kuon," she said as she thought about her wonderful husband.

…

…

Kuon turned to look at his wife as she came into the house, he was putting away the pots that he had used in making his and Isabella's dinner and had been staring at his hand. He hoped that what he thought was happening wasn't actually happening, well he had a lot of experience with contacts if it did.

Kyoko smiled at him before seeing the way that he was looking at his hand and tilted her head to the side, putting a bag of food on the kitchen island in the middle. "Sweetheart, is everything okay?"

"How would you feel if I got contacts?" he asked her and Kyoko froze.

"What color?" she asked and Kuon laughed as he put the dishtowel back on the hook.

"I'm just thinking that my eyesight is fading and I might need to have them for distance. Maybe I'll get glasses as well or would that be -"

"I think that you would look sexy and smart _and_ sophisticated with glasses," she grinned before he could finish what he was saying. "Would I get to help you pick them out?" she smiled to him and he nodded before gesturing to the bag.

"I take it that you and Maria had a good time at dinner and had a chance to reconnect?" he asked her and Kyoko nodded as she put her leftovers in the fridge.

"We managed to catch up and you were right, there was nothing to worry about but I did see a dessert that I was hoping we could share together tonight?" she said as she put a vanilla cupcake in the fridge as well. She hoped that she could give that to Bella after school the next day.

Kuon smiled as he watched her, he was always so mesmerized by her, so incredibly lucky that he was the man who she chose to be with. He sat down as he saw Kyoko pull two forks out of the drawer and then set a pear panna cotta with a glaze of port wine gelee in the middle of them.

Kuon smiled nostalgically as he looked at it, "Is this because you missed Valentines Day this year?" he asked and Kyoko took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"This is because I love you," she said as she brought his hand up to her lips.

…

…

" _Are you sure that you're okay taking Bella tonight?" the thirty-one-year-old Kuon asked Julie as he put down the bag of Isabella's things on the shoe rack. "It's Valentines Day. You and Dad should be celebrating. I know how the two of you love -"_

" _We love seeing our son and taking care of our granddaughter," Julie replied with a stern look. "Your father and I have had many Valentine's Days where we've had to spend time apart due to scheduling contracts."_

" _Which means that it's more important for you to spend the time together when you can," Kuon protested but Julie came over to him and put a hand on her son's cheek whilst seeing her husband and granddaughter come back into the house. "I really don't want to intrude."_

" _Are you going to be okay? I don't want you to be alone tonight, stay here with us. It'll be….a celebration of the love that we have as a family and after last year."_

 _Bella tensed as she heard that, "Please stay, Daddy?" she asked, "You can be my Valentines."_

 _Kuon looked back at his mother's and daughter's concerned faces and then sighed, "I don't know if it would be okay with Grand-"_

" _Of course it is," Kuu said, "You still need to share your recipe for wine gelee with me."_

" _It's her recipe, Dad" Kuon replied and Kuu nodded. He knew it was Kyoko who had made that dessert for Ren many many years ago, a decade to be exact, but he also knew how important that memory was to his son. Kuu had the suspicion that even when Kuon was old and grey, and hopefully he would make it to that point, Kyoko would always be his Valentines._

 **End of Chapter Thirty-Six**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty-Five**

Brennakai: Well they are now good friends again 😊

Kris XD: Really happy you liked it

PaulaGaTo: Well it did get better

Undertheskys: Yep 😊


	37. Chapter 37 - My Husband

**AN:** Hope you guys are still enjoying this fic, this moves into another plot line. I'm kind of excited about the new Skip Beat chapter but I'm only 20% expecting to see an at-present Ren in this chapter.

 **Chapter Thirty Seven – My Husband**

How old was he getting? Was he really in bed already?

Those were the thoughts that Kuon had as he looked at the alarm clock. Somehow when he was younger, he had absolutely no trouble staying awake all night but now he was in bed whilst falling asleep with fading eyesight in his early thirties. Had he gotten this out of touch with the fun night time activities that he used to enjoy so much.

He sighed as he closed his eyes and pulled the duvet around him closer. He just needed to get to sleep and start fresh the next morning. He had always been told to take it one day at a time by the doctors he had seen. If he fell asleep then he could concentrate on the next day and say that today had finished.

He was just about to try steadying and slowing his breaths when he felt something brush through his hair and his eyes opened. He blinked as he smelled her beside him and he felt her presence. She played with his blond hair again and this time giggled. "Hey," he smiled as he rolled over, "I didn't hear you come in."

"Hmm, I guess I'm sneaky like that," Kyoko said as she leaned down and kissed his head, smelling his hair as she did so. She slowly pressed kisses down the back of his neck and then got to his shoulder. She got down on all fours and slowly pulled away his shirt, pressing her lips over his heart before sucking down hard.

Kuon looked at her with a dazzling smile that was tripled in his eyes as she positioned herself over him like an animal with its prey. "What are you doing?" he laughed happily and Kyoko was excited to see that much happiness in his expression. She wanted to always do things that would make him look that happy.

"I'm claiming my prize," Kyoko said as she pressed her hands on his chest and kissed him passionately. She lifted one hand and ran her fingers down his cheek and his neck down onto his chest. "You know how I've always believed in fairy princes?" she asked and Kuon hummed as an affirmative answer, "Do you know that I see you as so much more handsome, sexy, gorgeous, perfectly imperfect than any of those stupid no-name princes," she said as she brushed some of his hair away again.

Kuon smiled, "You are the most beautiful, sexy, adorable woman that I've known as well," he said as he finally managed to sit up. He reached out to caress her cheek before kissing her again. "Are you sure?" he asked considerately and Kyoko laughed.

"Am I sure that I want to have sex with my amazing husband, my prince, the man I place above all others, the person who I love most? Yes, I am definitely sure," she smiled as she felt his hands slowly take off the cardigan that she was wearing and he draped it over the side table before slipping his hands under her long sleeved shirt before slowly removing it from her body.

As Kyoko sat there with no shirt on, she reached across for his hand and placed it on her left breast, "I want you to remember, Kuon, that I am yours. I am all yours. I am only yours. Every single piece of me, I share with you."

"And every piece of me I share with you," Kuon said before the room became a mess of clothes and some steamy romance.

…

…

Kuon smiled as he kept his arm around his wife who was resting peacefully on his chest. Kyoko had asked that they try to make a baby and so Kuon had been happy to do so. Isabella had been planned and so they had the experience when they were trying for her. Having another son or daughter would feel amazing especially if they were able to raise them together.

"Was that good for you as well?" Kuon asked his wife as she hummed matching his inhale and exhale. He loved how active she was despite being petite, she was amazing and he had never had better relations with anyone, hopefully she felt that she wasn't missing out by having sex with one guy and one guy only. He hoped he was good enough for her.

"It was amazing," Kyoko said, "have you told Shotaro that your bigger than he is during your trolling?" she asked and Kuon laughed at that.

"Now, I don't really want to be a dick to him that badly," he teased and Kyoko smiled again as she concentrated on the inhales and exhales of the man who owned her heart but kept it on a throne where he could take care of it.

Kyoko snuggled closer to Kuon and kissed his chest lovingly, "Are you happy?" she asked and Kuon paused.

"I am when you're here," he told her honestly and Kyoko lifted her head so she could look at him, she gazed into those emerald eyes and kissed him again.

"Good, but we're going to have to work on you always being happy," she said as he gazed back at her as if admiring a master work of art. He nodded in agreement. "Kuon, I don't know what I would have done had I never met you, you changed my entire life."

"You are the one who changed _my_ life," Kuon said as she wrapped her arms around him closer and smiled softly before falling asleep.

"I'm so happy because of you," she said as he kissed her. He felt so much better now that she was back in his arms, he wanted to work on being happy for her and getting stronger again. He wanted this family to really work and it felt so easy, with her at his side it felt so much easier than it had been.

…

…

"And Cut!" the director called out with an energetic smile and Kuon turned to face the man, letting down his walls for a moment as The Arrow, he looked at the crossbow that he was holding and then handed it to one of the crew who came to polish it. "Kuon," the director chuckled as he approached him, "You had such vigor in that last scene, you were epic. I want you to keep drawing that…that passion out of your character always," he said and Kuon smiled with a nod.

He had worked so hard in Hollywood trying to get to the point he was at now. He had worked harder than he would have ever thought possible and pushed himself to limits that he couldn't imagine but it was alright now. It was all alright now. He had Kyoko, he had his wonderful wife and the mother to their child.

"So, how did you manage to do it?" the director asked, "How did you go up to the next rung of the ladder as you actors like to say?"

Kuon hesitated, he knew the reason why he was doing so well today but it didn't matter that he was in America instead of Japan, it didn't matter how old her was or that there weren't many people around, saying that he was performing better because he had had sex with his wife wasn't professional at all.

"I think I've just let the character speak to me," Kuon said and the director gave him a thumbs up.

"I thought that was it so keep doing that, keep giving more, I want to not be able to tell the difference between the two of you. I want you to make me fully believe that you're your character," the director continued. Ren smiled as he listened to the man and took in every word. "Okay, so we've got an hour of filming left for the day but let's take ten minutes to get everything cleaned and our prop department to do their work."

At this point a young man who was interning for the company approached the two of them, "Mr. Hizuri," he said as Kuon tilted his head to look at him, "You've got a guest."

"I've got a guest…" Kuon repeated and he looked back at the intern, "Were you able to get their name?"

"They told you just to tell you that Kyoko is here to see you," the intern said uneasily before seeming to calm at the type of smile that Kuon had on his face and how the intern thought that he could hear the voice of the angels by just witnessing the actor in that much joy.

"Is she in the lobby?" he asked before looking back at the director, "Hi," he said as he approached him, "Would it be alright if my wife came onto the set?" he asked since loved ones had often come to watch but there were some rules that they had to go through. "She worked as an actress in Japan so she knows what to do and what not to do on set."

The director nodded, "Introduce me to her, please?" he requested and Kuon went to the front of the building to see Kyoko there with a little parasol she had bought. She looked up at him before laughing and put a hand to her forehead.

"Hi, am I talking to Kuon or Green Arrow?" she asked and Kuon walked towards her and took off the mask that he was wearing.

"We were in the middle of shooting, I asked the director if you could come and watch it, you might have to sign a non-disclosure before you can watch but it'll be fun. I think you'll like it," he said as Kyoko nodded excitedly.

"I'd love to see you work like that," she said as she took hold of his arm, "You look so brave and heroic."

"Well they do tell me that I'm a superhero," Kuon teased her before they walked back onto the set and Kuon brought her over to the director. After speaking to him for a little bit, Kyoko was led to where she could have some headphones and a screen where she could watch what was happening. She also had to sign a few forms which, as Kuon had suspected, included a non-disclosure form.

As she sat down, Kuon walked over to her again. "I have to take the bad guys down in this scene so I'll really have to concentrate," he said with a grin. He looked her over and let his hand run through her hair, "You'll be okay, right? You didn't feel faint or dizzy when you were in the sun?"

"The doctor told me that I should expose myself to a little sunlight on a daily basis, I definitely thought watching you shoot would be worth it," Kyoko smiled and Kuon kissed her again before going back onto the set. Kyoko giggled as she knew from seeing him that close that he was wearing a clear lip balm.

Kyoko was beyond impressed as she kept looking at what the monitor was picking up from the camera and from what she could see of Kuon in real life. This was going to be an amazing movie and she could see how much pride he still took in his work. She could still see his passion for acting and his strength at building his characters.

As she was watching, a twenty-four-year-old actor approached her. He had started off as a model but had managed to pick up the skills of an actor and now he was one of the most wanted bachelor's in America. He looked at her, "God, you're ravishing," he said as Kyoko held up a finger. "Funny, most girls like hearing that they're absolutely beautiful, but you -"

"I'm sorry, not to be rude," Kyoko whispered, "but I want to see my husband's acting."

"Your husband?" the actor asked, "You're with that old guy? You need to be with someone -"

"Sorry," Kyoko said, "I don't want to talk to you. I want to watch my husband," she said as she left him baffled but the actor looked at her and sat down beside her.

"I'll wait," he told her and Kyoko couldn't help but find her body to tense at that.

 **End of Chapter Thirty Seven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty Six**

Brennakai: I could just imagine Maria telling her but to Kyoko it doesn't matter, she loves her friends but she really loves her best friend and husband the most.

Kris XD: Well then, I hope never to let you down

Paulagato: Was it that obvious I was going to focus on their new baby 😉

RichkeyZero: Well, thank you for reading


	38. Chapter 38 - Challenges in Love

**AN:** I hope that you guys enjoy this 😊 I'm currently reading comic books (both DC and manga) again so I'm feeling rejuvenated when it comes to writing. Also, this fic is now my longest fic on 😊

 **Chapter Thirty Eight – Challenges in Love**

Kyoko concentrated on the screen that was showing what her husband was doing now, she had seen his eye flash in her direction for a split second before he refocused on his character. He was a professional after all. He wouldn't be brought down by things like this and Kyoko hoped that the fact that he wasn't reacting meant that he trusted her enough to concentrate on his work.

The actor offered his hand to her, "My name is Grant Mitchells," he said and Kyoko continued to ignore him. "You know there's only one reason why old guys go out with young girls."

Kyoko glared at him finally, that was the second time that he had said that Kuon was old. "Thirty isn't old," she whispered as she tried to keep calm. She couldn't make a scene on the set and she wanted to watch Kuon acting because she had always loved it the most when she could see him performing. "Even if he was sixty, he's _my_ husband," she said and Grant laughed.

"Are you blind, this is the acting community and –"

"Cut!" The director said and Kyoko took that moment to stand up and move places with Kuon still looking at her concerned. "Now, I've got some notes on that scene," the director said as Kyoko chose another place to sit, this was near some female crew members so hopefully that guy wouldn't follow or he'd see that there were better choices to flirt with.

Kuon looked up at Kyoko again and smiled as his eyes seemed to question about the actor that had just approached her. Kyoko smiled and shook her head telling him that she was fine and it was really nothing to concern himself over.

"Kuon, can you give a little more focus. You're amazing and we all know it but you need to get your head in the game right now and block out distractions. Emma, you need to really think about who Black Canary is and Dinah's relationship with Oliver in this scene," the director said and Kyoko continued to watch from the screen. Words couldn't express how much she loved her husband and how much joy she had from seeing him perform at his highest level.

The scene started again and Kyoko watched how Kuon managed to use every part of his body when acting. As she sat there though, Grant approached her and sat next to her, putting his arm around her waist. Kyoko flinched as she saw a tiny amount of pain in Kuon's eyes before he was able to refocus on the scene. Kyoko just hoped that the director was pleased by this because then she could push this guy off of her.

Kyoko attempted to wriggle out of the hold but Grant held tighter to her and finally the scene was done. Kyoko smiled in relief but then felt something hot and wet against her neck and she stared at the actor as he pulled his lips away from his skin.

Kuon looked to the director, "Was that the last scene for today?" he asked and the director nodded. Kuon walked over to Kyoko who had paled since he wasn't saying anything. Had she disappointed him by having that guy kiss her? Did he feel as if she had betrayed him?

"Kuon, I -" Kyoko said as Kuon grabbed Grant from his collar and pulled him away from Kyoko.

"Don't you ever touch my wife again," he said as he looked down at Grant who had fallen back onto the ground. He kept that challenging look in his eyes before turning back to Kyoko. Almost possessively, he went to his backpack and put some bottled water on a cloth before bringing it back to her. "Put that on your neck," he said and Kyoko blinked at him. "I want you to wash it away," he told her and Kyoko nodded.

"Maybe I should go to the restrooms where there's soap and water," she suggested as Kuon smiled in relief. She walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder before passionately kissing him. She stepped back with a smile, "I'll be right back," she said as she left, "Can I come into your dressing room when I'm done?" she asked and he nodded.

"Do you know where it is?" he asked her and when Kyoko shook his head, Kuon pointed out the direction. "It has my name on the door so make sure to check it carefully," he teased her and Kyoko put a hand on his chest.

"I have absolutely no intention of seeing anyone else naked," she teased him before reaching high and letting her hand go through his beard. "You were amazing, sweetheart. I know you were amazing as Ren but it shows how much time and dedication you put into your work. You were so amazing, so talented, so awe inspiring," she said as he smiled back at her lovingly.

"I'll be right back," she said before hugging him again and went off in the direction of the restrooms.

With her out of sight, Kuon turned his attention to Grant who was chatting up someone else. He coughed as he stood behind him. "I think we need to talk," he said though his eyes had a slight boredom in them as if he were talking to a fly or a gnat. This guy was bothering him more than he wanted to admit. He had to be taken care of before a second incident occurred.

"You must be blind," Grant said as he walked away from the girl he was trying to win over and went into an area where only he and Kuon would hear each other's words. "What kind of a background does that woman have?" he asked and Kuon frowned.

"Does it matter where she came from or what her -"

"I'm wondering about her social class," Grant said and Kuon showed his irritation about being cut off when he was trying to make sure that this jerk didn't approach Kyoko in the future. "I mean, come on, half of these Hollywood relationships are over fame and money. Unless that girl is an heiress of something, it's obvious she's playing you."

Kuon raised an eyebrow but the look of dislike was still in his eyes, "She's playing me?" he asked and Grant nodded, "Shame that you don't know anything about her and you _won't_ learn anything about her. That is my wife. She's not married to me for the money."

"Do you think that you deserve her personality wise?" Grant asked and Kuon shifted. He didn't want to think about his depression and how Kyoko had just gone ahead and accepted him as a different person. He didn't want to admit that he wasn't completely the guy that she had fallen in love with all those years ago. He didn't want to say how he was worried that his relationship with Kyoko would turn out to be like those TV relationships where people get married in high school and then in their twenties learn that they are married to someone different than they were. Those things wouldn't happen to the two of them.

Kuon scoffed, "Maybe I should ask you some personal questions too?" he asked before looking away, "but that would mean that I actually have an interest in you as a person and not just in keeping you away from her."

Grant laughed, "So, she can put up with a terrible personality just because she wants to be treated like a princess?" he asked and Kuon flinched at hearing that word.

He glared at Grant, "You have no idea what you're talking about. Kyoko is my wife because we love one another, we have a love that isn't matched by any TV or film couple. We have a love for each other that I doubt you'll ever have the luck to experience."

"That's before she knows that she can get someone young, attractive, rich, and with a great personality who isn't half her age older than her," Grant challenged him and Ren rolled his eyes.

"You have no idea what you're talking about but if you ever get near my wife again then I'll make sure to never give you a moment of peace again," Kuon said before going to his dressing room. He sighed as he sat down on the chair and looked at himself. He sighed and put his hand on his face. He thought that he had outgrown challenging men that were so much younger than him. He thought that he had matured and that he didn't have to worry about them.

He had to keep telling himself that those words weren't true, Kyoko wouldn't just leave him for someone younger. He sighed, maybe he could try to act a little younger or even look a little younger for her. What were twenty-year-olds doing these days? Going to clubs, getting drunk, taking random vacations to island resorts. He could do that too, he could try to be a younger man again.

…

…

 _Kuon had recently received the news that he was nominated for the Academy Award and would be going in April for a week to Japan where they were huge fans of his, maybe even bigger fans of him than of Kuu, which Kuon had once thought was impossible. Kuon was therefore being interviewed by many of the top TV talk show hosts and today was no different._

 _Kuon had already answered some questions about what the movie was, his acting process, what his hopes were, that he was grateful for being nominated but he didn't think that he would win. He had answered all of them skillfully and was hoping that Bella would be able to watch this. He wanted to do her proud._

" _So," the host said as she looked at Kuon with a playful smile, "You are one of the most secretive celebrities when it comes to your dating life. We already know that you dated a lot of women before you turned fifteen but can you tell us a little about your dating life now?" she asked and Kuon shifted in his seat._

" _Ah, that I don't have," he said before thinking about Kyoko and wondering whether she would have been proud of him for being nominated for the highest acting award you could receive. He hoped that she would be smiling and cheering him on but it had been so long since she had done that. He was starting to forget some of the supportive things she used to say to him._

" _What do you mean?" the host asked, "is there someone special that you're attracted to."_

 _Kuon nodded as he felt the pain flow through his veins. Every year without her was still painful, he had been told many times that the pain should get easier for him but it wasn't happening. He just had to keep fighting for Bella's sake._

" _There is someone incredibly special to me that I'm attracted to," he told her and the host grinned._

" _Well then, is it a secret or -"_

" _My wife, I'm attracted to my wife," Kuon said as the host looked at him not knowing where to go from there. "I mean, I still consider her my wife, she died about six years ago. I still feel as if I'm connected to her though. She is the most amazing woman I've ever known, nobody can replace her. Nobody would even be able to come close."_

" _I'm so sorry but maybe it's time to move on?" the host asked trying to lighten the atmosphere that came from Kuon's telling the audience this._

" _Never," Kuon shook his head stubbornly, "I'll never move on from her. Could we please change subject?" he asked and the host stared at him speechless before nodding and going back to discussing the movie._

 **End of Chapter Thirty Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty-Seven**

Ashenvale: Definitely a stalker who is going to challenge Kuon

Kris XD: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter

Ktoll9: He's more controlled than that since he's thirty but yeah definitely present manga Ren 😉

PaulaGaTo: I do still want to keep it rated T 😊 Of course Kyoko won't be swayed by another.

Undertheskys: Yes, yes he is


	39. Chapter 39 - For Appearances Sake

**AN:** This might be seen as a little more of a boring chapter, I know there were some people who wanted Kuon to really get revenge on Grant but I actually like Kyoko's bluntness with him a bit better. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter 😊

 **Chapter Thirty Nine – For Appearances Sake**

 _Kuon entered the Hizuri home where he and Isabella were living temporarily. They had recently moved and Kuon had tried to discuss with Kuu whether he should jump back into acting right away. They had talked about different factors to doing that including financial and found that Kuon would be able to support himself and Isabella without working for quite some time. At this point the whole family was more concerned with his emotional and mental health than him pursuing acting in America._

" _Hi, darling," Julie said as she came over to him and threw her arms around him. "You have a nice walk?" she asked as she smoothed down his hair like any affectionate mother would. She pulled back and placed her hands on his chest as she studied her little boy. He still seemed rather disconnected from the world._

" _You should go shopping," she advised him and Kuon looked at her confused, "You can't imagine how good a new set of clothes will make you feel," she attempted to convince him. "And then I can give you the number of a really good hair stylist and even though I don't think you need it, maybe we could book you in for a spa treatment."_

" _What are you talking about?" Kuon asked her confused. He sighed and then shook his head, "It doesn't matter, where's Isabella? Did she behave well today?"_

" _Of course she did, my granddaughter is an amazing baby and she's sleeping," she said proudly before concentrating on her son. "Kuon, you don't look well," she told him and Kuon looked at her._

" _Are you saying that I look bad?" he asked and Julie shook her head._

" _Exhausted is the word that I would use," she said as Kuon sighed and rolled his eyes._

" _I'm going to go check on her," he said as he ignored his mother's comments. "Don't worry, I know better than to wake her up."_

…..

…..

Kuon looked in the mirror in the changing room and let his fingers go through his hair. He didn't have any signs of premature balding which was good but he was right about his eyes. He leaned forward as if imagining a hundred or so wrinkles on his face. Maybe he should try a better nighttime facial treatment, he knew other actors of his age which did that. He closely observed his hair. He smiled, no premature grey hair either.

He sighed. Before he had found out that Kyoko could be brought back to life or that she never officially died or however you wanted to describe the situation, he had thought that thirty-two was a young age. He had thought that it was approaching middle age and he definitely wasn't a young man but he wasn't an old man either. Somehow he now felt very very old and quite tired as well.

He heard a knock on the door and smiled as he sat there in his day to day clothes.

"Hi," he grinned as Kyoko entered and put her parasol by the door.

Kuon had bought her that as a gift one day after he had finished working. He didn't know if it would work but he had phoned their doctor up to ask them about it. They had told him the right kind to buy and he had researched it before choosing a white one with some pink floral decorations on it. He was glad that she was using it.

"Hey," Kyoko said back with a wide smile on her face, "Sweetheart, you were amazing today. You took my breath away and I'm so proud to be your wife. I…thank you for showing me that," she told him and Kuon chuckled softly.

"It wasn't that good," he told her, "I much prefer when I remember seeing you work. I think that you should go into acting again. Maybe in a few years we could go back to Japan or you could dazzle everyone here and get into an American movie," he said and Kyoko hummed.

"Those would be nice but I'd only want to move back to Japan if you want to," she said stubbornly as she sat down on the sofa in the dressing room. "I want to be wherever you want to be."

"You know," Kuon smiled, "I was always thinking of moving back to Japan after my ten year plan," he said and Kyoko's eyes lit up. She hadn't heard him discuss this with her. She felt as if she was being let into a secret part of his life and she wanted to know all that she could about it. She had always thought that he would want to stay in America, in California, because that's where his parents were.

"See, when I moved I thought that America would be amazing but I'd kind of sugar coated parts of it in my head. I love being able to act and I'm happy doing so with more risk but I was thinking that when I turned thirty six I would go back to Japan. I don't know. I know that I won't make as much money, I know that the stakes aren't as big but I always felt more comfortable there. It's less big. It's not as fake and I mean…I know people there. Yashiro and I came up with it together, ten years so that I could do all that I ever wanted to do as a teen and a young man and then go and act in Japan again."

"Even though you're a foreigner in Japan?" Kyoko asked and Kuon laughed at that.

"You don't think that Lory or Kouki-san or whoever is running LME at that time will let me back in there?" he asked teasingly and Kyoko shook her head.

"Is that really what you want?" she asked, she was nervous about it. She knew that she would like it and she could definitely understand Kuon's point of view, he had seemed happier when he was in Japan and acting but the dream of Hollywood was something that so many actors envisioned. It was the rush of being popular and rich and having a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Why would someone who loves acting as much as Kuon want to give that up?

"It's what I really want," he told her and Kyoko could see the honesty in his expression. "However," he shifted, "I won't be going back to Japan as a young man so things are definitely going to change. I mean, I'm not even a young man now."

Kyoko glared at him as he said that. She waited as she collected her thoughts, continuing to stare at him before she asked very bluntly, "What did you just say?"

"Come on," Kuon sighed as he looked at her, "I'm not, I'm not exactly in my youth like you are."

Kyoko continued to look at him annoyed though there was a lot of love and compassion in her expression. "Are you really that obsessed about age?" she asked him, "I thought your therapist advised you to trust me. I have never told you that you're old or that I feel weird that there's now a decade age gap between the two of us. Will you stop with the 'I'm so old' thing?" she finally asked him and Kuon blinked.

He sighed, "I shouldn't have let Grant get in my head, I'm sorry."

Kyoko took steady breaths so that she didn't raise her voice and she continued to look at him, "Grant is an idiot who doesn't understand a single thing about our relationship. He called me a gold digger and he doesn't understand how loyal and compassionate and loving and supportive you are. He doesn't understand how you helped me in ways that nobody else could have. I don't give a damn about anything that Grant says and you shouldn't either."

Kuon sighed and looked at the ground, "I just…when I saw Grant making those moves on you, I wanted to attack him and force him off of you but then I realized that that would both cost me my job and show you how immature I still am. Part of me couldn't get it out of my head that age wise you looked better with him."

Kyoko stood up and walked over to Kuon so she could flick him in the forehead, "Idiot," she said before standing there with her hands on her hips. "As if age matters to me, unless Julie asks me to model with him then I don't care how good I look with him. I care about how happy I am with you, how happy I am only with you. That guy is a creep," she stated before sighing. "But I am proud of you for restraining yourself, I was scared about his actions distracting you from your work."

"The way that he -"

Kyoko sighed again and stepped forward to put her hand on Kuon's cheek. "Trust me. I have a husband who makes me feel happy and loved, I have a husband who is the only man I really care about, the only man who I want to kiss and I want to hold me. I have a husband who is king inside my heart. I'm not going to let anyone stop me from loving you."

Kuon sighed and nodded with a smile on his face, "Thank you," he said sincerely and Kyoko wrapped her arms around him whilst smiling. Hopefully he still understood how much he always meant to her and would always mean to her. She didn't want anybody else because nobody could even come close to him.

…..

…..

Two days later Kyoko had changed her sleeping patterns enough that she was able to be in the house just before sunset which meant that her body was exposed to a reasonable amount of sunlight. She had taken this opportunity to make dinner for the family and was checking the clock to see what time Kuon would be home.

He had told her he had an appointment, but she couldn't figure out who he had made that appointment with. She knew that he had to see the doctor for a physical but she wasn't sure it was that. As she heard the door shut, she smiled and turned the soup on a lower temperature for the udon she was making them.

"Daddy!" Bella smiled as she ran out to greet her father but then paused. She grinned as she looked at Kuon and Kyoko could immediately tell what had got that kind of reaction. Kuon was wearing Clark Kent style glasses which took her breath away.

"These are temporary," Kuon said as he gestured to his face and Kyoko could tell how nervous he was about showing them off due to the shift in his body language. He definitely looked more reserved. "I have to get used to wearing them before the contacts come and I got some other frames as well."

Kyoko looked at Bella who was grinning widely, "Daddy, you look so smart," she said and then looked at Kyoko, "Mommy, those show off how smart Daddy is."

"They also show off how sexy you are," Kyoko said as she walked forward and twisted the tie around her finger. "I now understand the attraction to the sexy intellectual man," she said as she put a hand on her cheek. "I love them, sweetheart. They really show off your eyes," she said as Bella rolled her eyes.

"Get a room," she said as Kuon laughed at that reaction. Was his daughter becoming a preteen already? She hadn't even turned eight yet.

 **End of Chapter Thirty Nine**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Thirty Eight**

Brennakai: ooh, I love the idea of her using characters to deal with Grant. I keep imagining Setsu 😉

Kris XD: Well next time he tries, Kuon isn't going to let him go so easily

Loyalty counts: Well, as old as I am, I do have to try to keep it T but I hope you're okay reading up to that point. Thanks for reading though. I actually started on this site under the penname mysticsorceror in 2002 so I know how it is to be young on this site. Wow, I've nearly been on this site for sixteen years.

Paulagato: Not as exciting as you might have thought but now they'll be working as a team to take him down 😉


	40. Chapter 40 - Another Rooftop

**AN:** I decided to do a time skip, it's a relatively small time skip but I thought it would make things a bit more interesting and it definitely made it easier for me to write. I have done some research on this chapter but then again, I believe Corn goes beyond the normal human. Hope you enjoy 😊

 **Chapter Forty – Another Rooftop**

A month later Kyoko was grinning happily because she was watching her husband wrap up the scenes for the movie. A lot had happened in the past month and now that Father's Day was coming up, Kyoko was getting excited. She wanted to know what Bella wanted to do but she wanted to make it a big event for her husband who had been so strong when it came to their family. Her condition to the sun was improving and soon she would be able to participate in morning and evening photo shoots and nighttime runway shows. She was ecstatic about it.

"Kuon, we're going onto our fifth take," the director called out using a megaphone from where they were on location shooting the scene. They had offered Kuon a stunt man for the scene and one person had even said that they highly suggest that Kuon make use of the offer but he had wanted to do it himself.

Kyoko was amazed at his dedication to his craft but she had been absolutely terrified by this scene and had said that she wanted to be there.

Kuon was perched on the roof of a very high building, facing the sunset over the sea on the Seattle coastline as cameras on drones circled around him. He looked out at the world and held up the bow and arrow. It was uncommon for them to be shooting the final scene as the final scene but they had shot the opening just before this so maybe that's how this director liked to do it.

They had also had to have special clearance to shoot this so maybe it was the best day for their schedule.

Kyoko hoped that he wouldn't fall. She also hoped that he wouldn't turn around and jump. She hadn't seen that annoying Grant for a couple of weeks so she was feeling very relieved. She was originally meant to walk with him in the runway she had done as a test run for Julie a couple of days ago for one of her smaller connections. It had felt amazing to be on a stage again and she did love the makeup.

"And that's a wrap!" the director called out and Kyoko smiled, soon her husband would be out of danger and she could hug him and they could spend some time in Japan where they had rescheduled their trip a couple of weeks to accommodate the filming.

"Oh my god," Kyoko grinned as she couldn't control the joy she was feeling, "Sweetheart, that was amazing!" she called out though it was going to be hard for him to hear her. She saw him swing himself onto the roof though and so the relief flowed though her body. He was safe.

…

…

Kuon smiled as he looked at the crew members who were on the roof as well. He walked to where they had a bottle of water for him and took a large gulp of one before smiling and taking off the hood that he was wearing. He swept a hand over his face and smiled at the crew members, "You guys will let me know when I can shave this, right?" he asked them.

"You don't want to keep it?" the woman operating the main camera joked, "You do look ruggedly good looking."

"I think that I prefer not having it but I don't want to shave it until we're absolutely sure there's no reshoots," Kuon said and the woman smiled again.

"Are you going somewhere nice with Kyoko? You two deserve a bit of time off for yourselves?" she asked him and Kuon grinned.

"I hope so," he nodded before picking up a towel and trying to get rid of the sweat he had been managing to control until the cameras had stopped rolling. He felt proud of all the work that he had done in this movie. Hopefully the director would feel the same and more than that, hopefully Kyoko was proud of him.

"That bi**h," a man said as he approached Kuon, he sounded drunk. Grant had finished his scenes weeks ago and this was supposed to be a closed set. Nobody knew how or why he had gotten up here. He obviously felt that he had a score to settle with Kuon though.

"Seriously, why are you here?" Kuon asked as he gave a firm look at Grant. He turned away wanting nothing to do with the man. "Whatever your reason, I'm not concerned. You can't take anything away from me, you can't even make a good attempt at doing so."

"How about I push you in the water?" Grant laughed and Kuon rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you actually did it then that's great but I doubt you can push me up from this high," he said as Grant stumbled near the edge and though Kuon really disliked this guy, he didn't want him to get hurt. Kuon was a very caring individual after all. "You should go back down," he said, very concerned about Grant getting too close to the edge. "Jumping off a building isn't as fun as you might think," he attempted to warn him.

"You just want Kyoko to yourself," Grant said as everyone could see how inebriated he was.

Kuon sighed and stared at the man in front of him, "What is the problem with that? She's my wife. Of course I don't want her to get with any other guys. She's my wife and I trust her. Find someone else because Kyoko would never go against our wedding vows."

"You stopped me from working with her," Grant said as he looked down into the water and Kuon came to stand beside him, trying to get one of the crew members to help him.

"She did that, she and my mother, Kyoko doesn't feel comfortable with you and you should know why," Kuon tried to reason with him, "Getting drunk over it won't solve anything," he said before feeling Grant push him. Kuon attempted to steady himself but as he did so, Grant shoved him again, pushing him off of the building and fortunately in the direction of the ocean and away from the boats and machinery.

…

…

Kyoko was keeping her eyes on the rooftop where the two men were but she couldn't see anything, she was hearing that there was an unwanted person on set and that they were scared that a fight might happen so they wanted them to relocate to ground level where it would be safer. It was then that Kyoko saw a body being pushed off the roof and her entire body turned to ice.

Please, no.

She heard screaming and she rushed towards the water. No no no no no. He couldn't have been pushed. He couldn't leave her. She heard a commotion next to her but the words weren't sinking in. She was following the body. Her heart pinched in her chest as she saw that the man had been pushed did a one and a half flip in the air before getting into a diving pose.

"Kuon," she whispered frightened as he came nearer to the water and she could see that it was him. She was hearing movement and screams and panicked words but her eyes wouldn't leave her husband and she saw him plunge into the water. She looked around hoping to see him pull up and when he didn't come up immediately, she jumped in after him.

She desperately tread water as she looked around for him and then saw him submerge. He looked hurt but he was doing his best to get to the edge. Kyoko couldn't imagine how much of a physical toll this was taking on him and she immediately swam to him, putting his arm around her shoulders as fortunately a crew member took his other arm and helped him up.

She saw him coughing up water as he sat on the dock. As people brought over towels, Kyoko wrapped one around his body and then started to wipe the water off of his forehead and his hair as if he was a little kid. "Kuon," she said as she knelt opposite him, "Are you okay? Is your thinking okay?" she asked before looking at the director helplessly.

"Yeah," Kuon nodded and Kyoko immediately brought her attention back to him. She put a hand to his cheek as she accepted a towel herself. She supposed that he would be okay if other people could jump off rocks into water. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said though he still sounded in shock.

He put his arm down before cringing and Kyoko looked at him, her panic shooting up to the maximum level again.

"Your arm? What's…" she said and Kuon looked at it himself.

"I think I've hurt my wrist," he said as if talking about something small and mundane. Kyoko gently picked it up and looked at the pain in his eyes, she ran a finger over it and saw him grit his teeth as he tried not to show the pain that he felt.

"We have to get a doctor to check it out," she said, "Is there any other body part that hurts?" she asked as she kissed his cheek and looked back at him with terrified eyes. She couldn't stop the fear that she had felt about Kuon falling off that roof. If he wasn't Corn, if he didn't have those amazing abilities, would he still be here with her?

"There's a little bit of burn to my body," Kuon said honestly, "but I think that's just from slamming into the water," he said before coughing up the water again and Kyoko tapped his back. She was now worried about any water that may have entered his lungs. There was surprisingly no splash. Kyoko had heard that the worlds best divers made no splash when they came down but the velocity of which he had been travelling had to be scarily high, she was worried about him regardless.

Kyoko felt very relieved when she heard the sound of the ambulance and the EMTs arrival. "We're going to go to the hospital, okay? Are you okay to stand?" she asked and Kuon nodded but as he got to his feet, he seemed a bit wobbly and so Kyoko put his arm around her and moved him to the ambulance.

She shot her worst glare to the top of the building. She would never be able to forgive that guy for doing this to her husband, she just hoped that he was okay. As she helped him to the ambulance along with the director this time, she heard someone in the background talking.

"Given the circumstances, that was the perfect dive," she said but Kyoko didn't care. All that she cared about was making sure that Kuon was all right.

"Shouldn't he have died from that," another person said, "that he's alive is a miracle."

…

…

 _Kuu had taken Kuon to the local VIP swimming pool when nobody else was around. It was too early for anyone else to be around. Kyoko had passed away six months ago and Kuu wanted to make sure that his son wasn't hydrophobic. Even when he had given Isabella a bath, he had been wary about her drowning. Isabella had noticed her daddy's hesitation when it came to the water._

" _So, I think I'll take a swim today," Kuu said as he kept a steady watch on Kuon, "You want to join me?"_

 _He watched as his son's eyes widened and he looked from the water to his father and back again. "Dad," he said with a shaky frightened voice, "Please don't do it. Please? I don't want to lose you too," he said terrified as tears unexpectedly came into his eyes._

" _Why are you so afraid?" Kuu asked, "It's just water."_

" _No, because you'll drown," Kuon said as he wrapped an arm around his chest, "You'll drown and then you won't come back up. Please don't do it," he said and it surprised Kuu just how scared Kuon was of someone he loved drowning. Maybe it wasn't right to expose him to the swimming pool this early. Maybe they could try again in a month or two._

" _It would just be for a quick swim," Kuu said and Kuon wrapped his arm around him tighter whilst messing up his hair with the other hand as he continued to stare at the water as if it was the fires of hell. This wasn't healthy but at least Kuu knew that Kuon's fear of losing someone under the water was enough for him to lose his character because of the fear it caused._

" _Okay," Kuu sighed as he put his hand on Kuon's shoulder, "Let's go back to the house."_

 **End of Chapter Forty**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for those who reviewed Chapter Thirty Nine** **I really do appreciate it**

KrisXD: Well unless something like this chapter happens 😉

Loyalty counts: Well it's definitely improvement between the two of them 😊

Paulagato: So do I 😊 I wear glasses myself and I always make characters wear glasses like mine, I guess I'm self-involved like that. My sister is actually the only person in my direct family who doesn't wear glasses. I didn't wear them until sophomore year of high school.


	41. Chapter 41 - Hospital Results

**AN:** I'm updating today instead of tomorrow because that gives me tomorrow for some other fics and also I'm really energized about this chapter. I hope you like it too. I've kind of been depressed about the manga recently and I might take a break. I once stopped from reading ongoing manga because I hate the will they-won't they relationship drama so I might have to go back to doing that for a few months 😊 Well I hope you enjoy the chapter.

 **Chapter Forty One – Hospital Results**

Kuu smiled as he helped the actor who was playing his son in the new TV show take down parts of the set. Despite how the stage crew had said that they could deal with it, Triston had volunteered to start it for them and because he had, Kuu only thought it right to help the young twenty-five year old actor. "It's nice of you to volunteer to help out," Kuu said as he picked up a chair and put it on a pile with the others. "They'll have to reapply your makeup if you sweat too much."

"So, I'll try not to sweat over a little light lifting," he winked to Kuu. "This isn't going to be the most amazing role for you is it?" he sighed and Kuu laughed at that.

"Does it matter?" he asked, "I get to see great young talent enter into showbusiness. I've been acting for a long time and though there might not be as many roles for me as there used to be, I'm happy to live my life as an older actor. Although, I'm not sure if I should call myself old, I mean I'm not even sixty yet."

"I've heard your son call himself as old in interviews," Triston said jokingly.

"Well my son has also said that he's not the best at acting so when he's talking like that, I tend not to believe him," Kuu smiled as he sat down once the set was cleared. He knew that the crew was in a meeting on what to do with some set layouts and whereas many other actors had decided to leave, he and Triston were waiting to get their final notes in person for the next day.

"You have a grandchild as well, right?" Triston asked and Kuu smiled.

"A granddaughter who is…she's amazing. Her mother was cryogenically frozen and I was expecting for her to have a little anger at that but Bella, she understands more than you give a child of her age credit for," Kuu smiled thoughtfully as he thought of the little girl. He adored his granddaughter and all of his family. He knew how she had given Kuon a reason to keep moving forward.

As he and Triston waited on set, the two of them heard a couple of grip hands talking.

"Well, I know that all of those superhero movies are dangerous," the first man said, "with all of the things that they have to perform but I wouldn't think something like that would happen."

Kuu's spine straightened as he looked at the two men very alert now.

"For the guy to just get pushed off the roof and to fall into the sea and it was a tall building's roof as well," he said and Kuu walked towards them before Triston could stop him.

"I bet the other guy's going to get put in jail for attempted murder, apparently there were a lot of witnesses," the second man said before they looked at Kuu who was shaking in front of them.

"Do you know what movie it was?" he asked with alarm bells ringing inside his head.

"The Green Arrow," the second guy said as the first man nudged him.

"His son is the one that was pushed off the building," he said as Kuu looked at them as if a monster had come and eaten up his soul leaving him a hollow shell.

…..

…..

"I promise you that I'm okay, Dad," Kuon said as he and Kyoko sat in the waiting room of the hospital in Seattle. They had done initial testing but then because they wanted to be careful and because they were able to see the amazing insurance plan that Kuon was on, they had done some scans and were waiting on the test results. Kyoko had definitely been standing up to the doctors and saying that she was more concerned about Kuon's lungs than his head and that the doctor should be concentrating on the bruises that were starting to show on his shoulders and behind his neck.

Before when he had been to the hospital, Kuon hadn't really said anything about how he felt that the doctors should be treating him. He would just go wherever they would point and trust in them. Kyoko was being one of those over-protective wives who felt that she had a right to have her opinions heard and Kuon loved that about her.

"What do you mean that you don't trust my opinion and that you want to talk to Kyoko?" Kuon asked as he looked a the phone stunned. Kyoko smiled as she could imagine what Kuu was saying on the other end of the line. "Dad, you don't need to get so upset. I'm okay."

"Yes," Kuon hummed, "I was pushed off the roof, that's true but I'm okay. There's minimal injury."

Kyoko sighed as she held out her hand for the phone. She knew that Kuu was probably trying to make sure that Kuon was telling him everything and she understood it, if this was the other way around and Kuu had been witness to the event but she hadn't been there, she'd want to find out what was going on as well.

"Hey," Kyoko smiled as she put the phone to her ear, "it's me, Father."

"Kyoko," Kuu said in relief, "Oh my god, thank god," he said as Kyoko heard him attempt to catch his breath, "What happened? All the media is saying that he was pushed, apparently there was a camera that was still rolling when it happened but the media isn't allowed to show it because it's being taken into evidence. Tell me that he didn't get pushed off a roof."

"I can't tell you that he didn't, he was pushed, Father, but for the most part he's okay. We're waiting on the information from the CAT scan in case there's a concussion right now and he did break his wrist and there's some heavy bruising but he seems to be doing okay."

"He was pushed? Kyoko, this is serious. Are they doing anything to the person who. Who did it?" Kuu asked and Kyoko could see him as one of those mafia dons who would pay someone to go and track down Grant and kill him. She didn't want to say that she was worried about her loving and accepting father doing that but she was scared about what might happen if he found out.

"Father, they were drunk. It doesn't excuse what they did but…Kuon doesn't want us to get involved. He doesn't want us to trouble ourselves or for him to inconvenience us," Kyoko replied although both Kuu and Kuon knew that if Kyoko wasn't at the hospital right now she would be using her infamous anger to strike blows right where it would hurt that asshole.

She would take away his chance of modelling and acting in the industry even if he wasn't blacklisted. She was going to hunt him down and make sure he knew the fear of which she felt when it seemed her husband was going to be taken from her. She knew that Kuu would feel the same way.

"So you're not going to tell me their name?" Kuu asked with slow and steady breaths.

"I can't do that at the moment," Kyoko said as her eyes flicked to Kuon for just a moment, "but I'd pay close attention to the TV," she whispered as if telling Kuu that she didn't care what he did to Grant. She had to be by Kuon's side but if Kuu could get to him then as long as he operated within the law, she wanted him to hurt.

"Are you able to take care of Isabella for tonight, we're probably going to have to fly back tomorrow morning and that's if we get good news from the doctor," Kyoko said and Kuu sighed.

"Yes, either Julie or myself will take care of her," Kuu said, "Tell my son that I love him and I hope he gets better soon, I love you too Kyoko."

"Me too, Father" Kyoko smiled before hanging up the phone after saying goodbye. She turned to Kuon and sat down next to him again, straightening his glasses as she felt a little overprotective when it came to making sure that he was safe. "Your dad says that he loves you and to get better."

Kuon sighed as he watched her, "I love you," he smiled to her and Kyoko nodded.

"I love you too," she pressed her head onto his chest, making sure to take notice of his breathing and if he was feeling any additional pain. She loved him so much and she couldn't believe just how close she might have just come to losing him.

At this point a doctor came out and gestured that the two of them follow her back to her office. Kyoko put Kuon's hurt arm around her shoulder despite knowing that he wanted to protest her doing that and him wanting to tell her that he was okay. He knew that Kyoko would feel more at ease if he depended on her a bit more.

…..

…..

"Well," the doctor smiled as she sat down in the hospital room with the two of them, "We are going to set a cast for your wrist and you won't be able to use it for a couple of weeks, it seems when you hit the water your hand pulled up a place where you broke a bone right here," she gestured. "Since you do have finger movement, I don't think there's nerve damage but we will have to set a cast on your arm just to make sure that there are no further breakages."

"It's a good thing that I finished filming then," Kuon joked and Kyoko leaned forward.

"Please trust me," she said passionately, "I'll be making sure that Kuon gives his wrist enough time to heal. I don't mind taking care of him no matter what it is. Even if I have to undress him or help him with taking a bath," she said as Kuon laughed weakly feeling that he was unable to stop his wife from saying these things. Kyoko really did seem to be saying that she wanted to be his dominant hand since he couldn't use his own."

"Well, that's good," the doctor nodded, "I still want you two to keep note on any concussion symptoms that might come during the next thirty six hours just so we can be sure. There's some pain medications that I'd like you to take and there's also some home treatments that I can suggest for the bruising on your upper back and shoulders, fortunately there wasn't any spinal damage or extremely deep bruising that is going to be a problem."

"How about his lungs?" Kyoko asked and the doctor smiled.

"I'd say that maybe taking some time to relax would help but with the internal organs there don't seem to be any difficulties. Did you ever train as a lifeguard or an Olympic diver Mr. Hizuri because it's really quite a miracle that you're alive." The doctor looked at the two of them. "I'm going to send a copy to your doctor in California," she told them, "go in and see them next week. I'm just going to get the cast put onto your wrist and then the two of you will be free to go."

Kyoko smiled happily as the relief was shown in her eyes. She was really thankful to whatever fairy or magical being protected her husband in this way.

…..

…..

Grant looked around at his old bedroom in his parents house. They had said that they wanted to take him home before the trial to think about what happened and because they were a rich family in Hollywood with his father a singer, they had the money to post bail. Grant sighed, he had screwed it all up. He hadn't listened to his friend's words and he had gone to hunt Kuon down and now everyone was thinking that he intentionally wanted to push him off of a skyscraper.

Yes, he was mad at the world because of how attracted he was to Kyoko but he hadn't meant for any of _this_ to happen. He heard the sound of the television again, they weren't letting this go down quietly, they were still waiting for Hizuri to get to the airport.

It was too early for this. It was hurting his head how he had spun off without his medicine and had found himself on a roof. He thought that Kyoko would have understood that she would have wanted him and ditched the old guy but she had jumped in after him. She was so stupidly in love with him.

He didn't want his career to be over. He had put in way too much work in his career and it wasn't as if Hizuri was dead, he had fallen off a building but he wasn't dead and maybe he could pretend that he knew that he had diving experience and would be fine. He didn't want for this to be over.

Putting on a hoody, Grant went out of his parents room to see that there weren't all the photographers and journalists he expected but one guy in a dark blue hoody with a nice looking car. How did this guy get everyone else to leave? He didn't even look like a young guy so what was some old fart doing outside his house?

Grant shrugged it off but felt the guy following him, "Will you just leave it," he said as he looked at the man's designer sunglasses. He was definitely following him. "What do you want? Me to confess? Who the hell are you?"

"Well, a confession," the man said, "in front of a judge, yes. I'd love one of those."

Grant rolled his eyes but then felt the man grab him and push him to the wall. Grant looked at the man and felt his chest sink in and the air get taken from his lungs. This man had been an actor in Hollywood for longer than he had been alive.

"Don't you dare," the actor opposite him said, a hate burning in his eyes, "go near a member of my family again. If you do then your life will be over. I have connections and I have always been afraid to use them….before now," he whispered. "Even if the court lets you off because you were drunk, I'm going to be watching your every moment. You tried to murder my son and I'm warning you," the senior actor said in a way that would give horror-movie goers nightmares for years, "I will never forget that fact."

 **End of Chapter Forty One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter Forty**

Brennakai: You're right, there's a lot of things that can go wrong for him but he still wants Kyoko

Kris XD: Well, if Kuon can jump backwards off a balcony, spin around on a flag, and make up an excuse in Guam, he can do anything.


	42. Chapter 42- When You Care About a Friend

**AN:** I hope you enjoy this chapter 😊

 **Chapter Forty Two – When you care about a friend**

On the afternoon of the following day, Kuon attempted to ignore the cameras as he and Yashiro sat together in a local coffee shop. Yashiro had asked Kuon if he wanted to come to talk in Yashiro's home but with all the swarm of press outside the gate, Kuon just wanted to put himself somewhere public so that there wouldn't be any breakages. Fortunately the people who ran the shop had a strict policy against the press.

Yashiro looked at the cast over Kuon's wrist. On the top were stars and hearts and pictures of bunnies as well as a picture that Bella had drawn of herself and Kuon with the message. 'I love you, Daddy! Get better soon' and on the other side in neat writing read 'Words aren't enough for me to describe my love for you. Heal soon, my prince. – Your Kyoko'

"See, I bet now you won't forget that you have two wonderful people who love you," he said with a soft laugh and Kuon nodded. "You really scared me though, when I found out what they were saying on the news well…that's the nearest I've come to a heart attack."

"You had to have faith that I would be alright, right?" Kuon asked with a half-smile and Yashiro's mouth dropped open.

"Of course," he said with a roll of his eyes, "Anyone else gets pushed off a building and there's a murder case and a funeral but when Kuon Hizuri gets pushed off a building, he breaks an unofficial diving record," Yashiro said before looking at his best friend. "Explain to me again how you're a regular human."

"Explain how –" Kuon repeated before laughing, "I don't think I can. You're going to have to put some trust in me," he said before looking down. "For a few seconds there it was the scariest moment of my life but I knew that I had to either adapt or I would die. Diving was the first thing in my head, I'm just glad that I went into the water because otherwise things wouldn't have been so good."

Kuon smiled as he looked at his wrist, "Kyoko keeps telling me that she wants to be my right hand and make things easier on me. I had to convince her that I'd be okay coming here but she told me to make sure that you knew I was okay."

Yashiro laughed, "I'm very glad that you have your Kyoko," he told him and Kuon nodded. "So, talking about people perhaps being a little overprotective, you're going to have a visitor from Japan," he said and Kuon raised an eyebrow.

"Word got through to Japan already?" he had to ask and Yashiro rolled his eyes.

"Kuon, you are one of the biggest stars to come out of Japan. It would be more of a surprise if there weren't news reports airing this. You're not even Japanese but you have made such a big presence over there. Well, I don't think that anyone in Japan was more worried than Lory and so, after finding out from both Kuu and I what we knew about it, he's decided to come here to make sure you're okay."

Yashiro saw Kuon's weak smile in having heard that. Everybody knew that Kuon was incredibly special to Lory and anyone who was family would be worried if they heard that another member of their family had been pushed off a building. Yashiro was worried himself and he was sitting and talking to Kuon whilst that shock gripped his body.

"I guess that should be okay," Kuon said as he sighed, "There's no way of stopping him is there?" he asked and Yashiro laughed.

"If you figure one out, let me know," he replied before taking out the schedule he kept for Ren. "I talked to some of the people who you had appointments with this week and they all persuaded me that they would prefer it if you took at least a week to rest and then they would reschedule. You have your Japan tour coming up in a week and a half as well and then there's Mother's Day in a couple of days," he said with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Which Bella and I have been preparing for," Kuon laughed, "This is the first Mother's Day that Bella will actually celebrate with her mother. I'm excited to see the two of them bonding."

Yashiro laughed and nodded, "Yes, quite a life you've had. You know, with the way that you sound right now, I think it would be hard for anyone to believe that you had been pushed off a building if they hadn't seen the videos. Have you seen -"

"I don't want to," Kuon replied, "at least not yet but Kyoko watched them. She came to me crying after she did."

"That's to be expected, a woman in love doesn't want anything to happen to the person that she loves. She wants to keep them safe," Yashiro mused and Kuon laughed softly.

"I just got her back," he sighed as he thought about how overprotective Kyoko was, he smiled as he finished his coffee. "Well, she wants me to be back soon so if it's okay, I'm going to get back to her. Do you need a ride?" he asked and Yashiro shook his head.

"I'll be fine. You just help that wife of yours feel comforted, she's probably anxious about what happened knowing Kyoko," Yashiro assured him and Ren nodded before leaving the shop.

Yashiro sat by himself as he thought about how far the two of them had come during their time together. Kyoko had started off saying that she would never ever fall in love again and that she wanted to be a pure hearted woman who was independent and didn't lose herself in the presence of any guy. She was close to that, she often didn't act like the people that she pitied but she did love her husband.

Kuon was always supportive of Kyoko, wanting her to follow her dreams and have her independence. He showed her how supported you could be when you had the right partner. Of course the two of them were going through something strange and new right now. You don't just see your significant other getting attacked and them nearly dying every day.

Yashiro was still in mid thought when he heard the chair opposite him getting pulled out, he laughed softly, "So, you needed to come back for something?" he asked before his heart paused in his chest. He frowned as he started to stand up. This was the last person on earth he wanted seated opposite him right now, and yes, that did include people like Fuwa.

"Hey, you've got to help me," Grant said as he looked up at Yashiro who gave him such a cold and harsh look that it could make the most beautiful flower shrivel up and turn into a weed.

"I don't have to do anything," he said as Grant looked at him.

"I'll pay you double what that gu-" Grant stopped as he heard the way that Yashiro laughed in pity of him and with a lot of dislike.

"You think that I'm Kuon's manager because of money? You think that if Kuon stopped paying me that I'd instantly step out of his life and not come back. You honestly believe that I'd betray my allegiance to my friend?" Yashiro shook his head, "Obviously, you don't know who I am."

"You're his manager," Grant said, "so you should be the one who can convince him to say I shouldn't be locked up."

Yashiro gave an even harsher look to Grant, "Do you have a best friend?" he asked and Grant nodded slowly, "Then you're an idiot because if somebody pushed your best friend off of a rooftop, you wouldn't forgive them and I'm not forgiving you. I don't think that I owe you anything," he said before starting to walk out of the café. "If you want someone to be on your side, pick someone else because I care about what happens to Kuon maybe even more than he does himself."

…

…

Kyoko excitedly waited by the door for Kuon to get back. She had something to show him before she picked Isabella up at school. She was getting to be more comfortable with the sun especially when she had the parasol that Kuon had bought her to protect her from the harmful rays. She was so excited about the news that she had to share with him and she hoped that he would have the same excitement as well.

As he came in the door, Kyoko looked up at him and grinned, "Welcome home, how did your talk go?"

"Yashiro told me that Lory is planning on making a visit. Apparently in just a number of hours all of the news has spread to Japan and people are freaking out," Kuon laughed before pushing his hand through his hair, "I think that if they actually believed I was even more important than they think I am, there might be some international wars over this," Kuon attempted to joke with her and Kyoko winked.

"Who can blame them?" she teased him, "I mean, intelligent, gorgeous, talented, and athletic. You're definitely a guy who is worth keeping around," she said as he hung up his jacket and laughed at that.

"I don't really see the big point of me but thank you," he said before he looked her over again, "Are you okay?" he asked. He came over and sat next to her which allowed Kyoko to let her head rest gently against his shoulder. She smiled before nuzzling his neck a little.

"I've got something to show you," she said and Kuon blinked but then smiled softly.

"Okay, what did you want to show me?" he asked and Kyoko took out a pregnancy test on it that was positive. She showed him two others that she had taken just to be certain and saw Kuon's face light up as if there were a candle inside of him. He was glowing so much with such an amazing smile. Kyoko could feel his happiness as she wrapped her arms around him from the side.

"Oh wow, this is…are you really…" he said and Kyoko laughed.

"You haven't changed your mind have you?" she asked and Kuon put the tests down by his side before wrapping Kyoko up in his arms with a loud laugh which brought her happiness throughout her entire body.

"This is amazing," he told her as he pulled her close, "This is the best news I've received since you being back with me again. This is so exciting, are you sure that you want to do this?"

"Have another baby with the amazing man that I love?" Kyoko said with a grin, "Of course I do. Hopefully we can raise them together this time and hopefully Bella can help us too. Do you think that Bella will be jealous that I'll be here for this child."

"I think Bella understands, she's such a sweet kid and very mature for her age," Kuon said but Kyoko still didn't know. "Should we call my parents now or wait until we see them face to face?" he asked and Kyoko bit her top lip. She looked down and shifted nervously, "What? Is there a problem?" he asked and Kyoko sighed.

"Before we tell them, I think we should tell Bella first and make sure that she's okay with this," Kyoko said and Kuon looked at her.

"She will be, Bella's always been really supportive of others," Kuon said and Kyoko frowned before humming. She didn't want to say it, but _she_ was worried about how Bella would take in this new addition to their family.

 **End of Chapter Forty Two**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Forty One**

Brennakai: You've guessed a number of things correctly but I do love the idea of a Mio-type run in with Kyoko

Erza: This particular fic I attempt to update daily but various times of the day

KrisXD: Not easy but he's also a quick thinker

Ktoll9: Kuu is a great dad (and one of my favorite characters in Skip Beat)

Loyalty counts: Well, he has always been warm to Kyoko 😉 but he's letting himself be vulnerable now

Paulagato: I don't have kids but I probably would have done that if someone attempted to murder them, hell I'd probably do worse but involving computer hacking 😉

Undertheskys: Well it could have been a lot worse 😉


	43. Chapter 43 - Time for Romance

**AN:** So, I've come down with a cold. If the words don't make sense or there's slow updates that's why 😊 Hoping for a much better chapter in the manga but you know, good things in this too, I just have the feeling there will be more Kanae and less Ren in the next few I don't hate Kanae she's just more of a boring character to me, sorry to all the Kanae fans.

As for why they are on the next day, well Lory's plane got delayed

 **Chapter Forty Three – Time for Romance**

Kyoko grinned as she held Kuon's good hand the next day and they walked down the pier. She could see that both of them were a little afraid when they crossed a bridge over deeper water. Both of them had nearly drowned and Kyoko was glad to see that Kuon was okay. He did have a little bit of a cough so she was keeping an eye on him.

"Are you sure you're being out here in the sun?" Kuon asked as Kyoko nodded, her eyes drifting towards a lemonade cart but then she quickly looked down. She still didn't like inconveniencing her husband. "Okay, let's go over there," Kuon said as he read her too well and Kyoko blushed.

"Are you going to have one?" she asked and Kuon hummed as he looked at them.

"Maybe just a tall size of the regular," he said, "hopefully it's not too sweet."

"How about if we get a large one with two straws?" she asked with a wink and Kuon nodded as he tried to dig out his money but Kyoko held his hand and pulled out her purse. "We'd like to get a large regular lemonade," she said and the man smiled before getting it for them. Kyoko picked up too straws and poked them into the top despite there only being one hole.

"You're very creative," Kuon smiled as he stroked her hair back.

"Come on, let's go sit down at one of those benches so that we can drink this together," she said before putting a hand on his arm. "I've got something to tell you but first, maybe tonight we can have one of those alcoholic coconut drinks together. I know we're not on a tropical island but perhaps we can find somewhere where we can do that. The alcoholic ones are probably much better than the non alcoholic one that we shared in Guam."

Kuon smiled as he followed Kyoko to a small table that had been set up and pulled out a chair as she watched him. He had moved too quickly for her to pull it out for him. "Is it really okay if we share this since we don't know if I'm getting a cold," he worried and Kyoko smiled to him.

"I want to share a drink with my husband," she pouted, "I want to share a drink with the man whose baby I'm carrying…" she froze before looking down.

"Rethinking the alcohol?" he asked her and Kyoko nodded. Kuon reached out and placed his good hand on her cheek, "How about after you've had our baby or maybe a year after, I still can't figure out breastfeeding."

"Well, you don't have breasts so I guess I can forgive that," Kyoko winked at him playfully. "Kuon, I do want to tell you something that's important to me," she put a hand to her chest as he nodded. "Please try to understand what I'm saying."

"I'm not stu-" Kuon said before Kyoko quickly shook her head.

"I know that. I know you have a high intellect, I know that you can do anything," she grinned to him, "but I just want to tell you that in my head, I've accepted that I'm twenty-eight in the body of a twenty-two year old. That's how I'd like you to think of me," she said and Kuon looked at her.

"Kyoko, that's giving up six years of your life," he said concerned, "Are you sure that -"

"I know that most people don't see me that way but I hope you do. I hope you think of me as your wife who is actually less than four years younger than you who was in a coma but her body didn't change," she sighed and looked down, "It's just important to me."

"Is it the age ga-" Kuon began and Kyoko poked him in the forehead.

"Will you shut up about that?" she asked before smiling with a playful shine in her eyes, "That's it. I'm going to put a jar in the kitchen and every time that you talk about being too old or there being an age gap between us, you have to put in five dollars. Then you'll be able to see how much you've been saying it. The way you're worrying is about twenty times older than you are," she said and Kuon laughed.

"Okay, okay, you're twenty-eight," he said to her and Kyoko smiled happily.

"Thank you," she said with a grin, "so what time does Boss get here?" she asked. She always liked the way that Kuu and Kuon called Lory 'Boss' and so she had asked him if she would be allowed to do it too and he had said that it was her right as a Hizuri family member to do so.

"I think he said seven so we've got a little bit of time," Kuon grinned to her, "He really is being overprotective."

"You do remember that it was LME that you tried to jump off of," Kyoko attempted to remind him. "He was witness to that. That's not something that you forget easily," she wrapped her arms around herself. "I love you. If anyone tries to hurt you then I can't forgive them. I don't care who it is, if they have an intention to kill you then I hate them and they can never be forgiven and I know it's the same for you about me."

Kuon nodded, "Even Fuwa isn't that bad."

"Compared to what Grant did to you, Sho looks like a lamb, a very annoying lamb who cries very loudly in the middle of the night but you know, still a lamb." Kyoko said as she saw him take a sip of the drink, "It's good, isn't it?" she asked and Kuon nodded.

"It really treads between the lines of sour and sweet," he admitted.

"Just like Tsuruga Ren," Kyoko teased playfully and Kuon nodded in agreement.

…

…

Kyoko giggled as she saw Kuon buy her the necklace that she had been eyeing, there were a lot of little shells and the designer had used the shells to make a turtle in the middle who turned different colors depending on the light. It was just the kind of thing that Kyoko loved and she knew that Kuon would want to get it for her.

"Here," he smiled as he slipped it onto her neck and did the clasp up for her with one hand "Thank you for braving the sun," he whispered as he kissed her passionately on the neck by her shoulder. "I love you so much," he said and Kyoko squeezed his hand.

"I love you too," she said with a warm expression as she took in how sweet the man she married is.

"And you're the best looking twenty-eight-year-old ever," he said as he ran a hand down the side of her face stealing her breath away yet another time that day. Kuon looked away before gesturing to where there was a café, "Do you mind if I buy you a drink and then go use the restrooms?" he asked and Kyoko smiled up at him.

"You don't even need to buy me that drink," she said although she knew that Kuon was one of those people who couldn't comfortably go and use a store's or restaurant's bathroom without buying something from them.

"How about an iced tea?" he asked and Kyoko nodded as she held to his arm whilst admiring the jewelry he had bought for her.

…

…

Kyoko smiled as she looked up at the mirror opposite her and keep playing with the turtle necklace. She really did want to see herself as a twenty-eight-year-old who had been in a coma instead of thinking that she had just popped into the future. She knew it was hard to think about but it was the best way of keeping Kuon calm. She wanted to figure out why he had become depressed, how the web of self doubt in his mind had led him to be the way he was. She loved him but sometimes he made thing so much more complex than they needed to be.

Kyoko frowned as she looked into the mirror and saw someone approaching her. She felt her entire body burn up as he came to her and in the exact opposite way that Kuon made her feel. Grant looked as if he hadn't slept or eaten in a while and the negative press was taking its toll on him. However, despite all of this, surely he didn't think that the best thing to do was to approach a Hizuri family member.

With her eyes turning cold she turned to look at him, "Get away from me," she whispered as her eyes carried a dark aura in them and her tone of voice was one that could slowly tear away at ice with every syllable, slowly and carefully carving it onto a plate.

"Hey, I know that we've -" he said and Kyoko raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of her drink.

"Your words are nothing to me," she said as she turned the cup and looked at him, "You know. It's really a pity that you're not attractive to me at all because I'd love to get your own back when you go to prison," she told him. He looked at her confused. "Oh, so you really are an idiot that I need to spell this out for, you attempted to get close to me and make me sexually attracted to you. I hope that there's a big strong man on the other side of the bars for you or I'd hold onto both your soap and," Kyoko looked at his pants before giving a pitiful smile to him when she looked at him, "your inferior body parts."

"I'm not gay," Grant argued, "Did you think that I was gay?"

"Wow, you're so….uninteresting," Kyoko said, "maybe prison will make you even more interesting. Maybe a prison name, a muscular guy who makes you his bitc, and…" Kyoko stood and dug her nail into Grant's cheek, not enough to dig in but enough to scratch him. She pulled up getting dangerously close to his eye, "Right here," she told him with a laugh. "I think a scar right there can show people how _you_ see the world. Twisted and scarred."

Kyoko glared at him and without knowing it, she had two of her grudges wrapping their way around Grant's neck. She stepped back as she saw him struggling to breathe but her anger was that great. This person had nearly stolen the love of her life from her. She had the right to hurt him.

Kuon took a deep breath and a step forward as the other patrons looked at the scene in front of them, "I told you never to touch her again," he said before Kyoko's attention turned to Kuon who was looked extremely pissed off. "Outside," he told Grant as the grudges seemed to flock towards Kuon and his anger. Kyoko smiled weakly to the other people in the shop and grabbed her stuff to go after the two men with a quick apology.

Kyoko quickly found the two of them standing in the shadows and she could almost feel the hate that was running through Kuon's blood.

"You wouldn't let him hurt me would you?" Grant asked Kyoko who quickly moved to stand beside Kuon.

"I'll let him do whatever he wants. To me, it'll be the greatest scene ever," she said before quickly taking a look at Kuon's wrist. Would he be able to do this one-handed?

 **End of Chapter Forty Three**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Forty Two**

Ashenvale: We'll have to wait and see but you're nearing my feelings 😊

Erza: Good insight 😊 well we'll have to see as they'll do it after Mother's Day

KrisXD: Well you'll have to wait and see 😉

Paulagato: Maybe, I have been playing with the idea in my mind

Undertheskys: Well they are really excited about their own baby, that's for sure


	44. Chapter 44 - It's Wrong to Hit Somebody

**AN:** Some sadness in this chapter but I still hope you enjoy. Also this fic just reached 100k words 😊

 **Chapter Forty Four – It's Wrong to Hit Somebody**

Kuon had been one of the first people to teach Kyoko about hand to hand street fighting or at least how it had appeared in the movies. Yes, when she was younger she had played the role of Momiji and had to learn how to handle weapons but as for the type of street fighting that you see with fists in people's jaws and their bodies crashing against the wall, well Kuon had taught her the most.

As much as she hoped for him to just kick Grant's ass, her attention kept drawing towards his dominant wrist. The majority of people wouldn't dare to fight with that kind of an injury unless they absolutely had to. Having your dominant wrist affected like that made any fight a fool's mission for most people but Kuon wasn't most people.

"You've taken it all from me!" Grant yelled at him as Kuon seemed to look bored but his eyes showed anything but boredom, Kyoko hoped that the flashes of emotion weren't distracting him from what was going on. Did Kuon actually feel pity for this creep?

"My acting, my modeling, Kyoko" Grant said as Kyoko felt her back straighten.

"Kyoko," Kuon stressed as he gestured to her, "Was never yours to begin with. As for the acting, work on your skills, your talents. You can't get Hollywood to work _for_ you, you need to work for it," he said as Kyoko wanted to tell him to focus on the anger that he felt because then he could really hurt the man who had tried to kill him.

"You want them to see me as a murderer!" Grant said as he looked around and Kuon walked forwards to him.

"I do _not_ want them to see you as a murderer," he said as Kyoko concentrated on the way that his hand was turning into a fist. Hopefully nobody would see this. "Are you that much of a self-centered asshole creep that you think everyone's lives must revolve around you," Kyoko could see the way that Kuon was perfecting the fist, at any moment there would come a punch and she was excited about it.

"You're the only one who knows the story," Grant said as he looked around again. Was he seriously attempting to find a means of escape?

"I'm the one who is going to try to not get them to extend the prison sentence on you. I don't even want you in prison. I just want you the hell away from me, my friends, my family, and especially _my_ Kyoko," Kuon finally struck out with his non dominant hand and Kyoko was expecting to see Grant stumble or maybe crash into the wall.

That wasn't happening.

…

…

"Hi," a well dressed woman smiled as she stood with her back resting against the wall as Kuon continued to sit down outside the principal's office of the school. "I'm Sarah Owens, Michael's mother," she said.

Kuon smiled. "Kuon Hizuri, Isabella's dad."

"You always wonder about your kids when you get called down here. I'm not sure if we've actually formally met but you look familiar. Don't tell me I've seen you on the witness stand." Sarah mused

"Ah, a lawyer," Kuon nodded, "I'm in acting. I've never actually been called down for my daughter before. She's usually such a sweet kid, I don't know what she was doing."

"Are you one of those parents who think that their children can do no wrong because just that -" Sarah said and Kuon chuckled at that.

"Oh, I do believe that she can cause trouble and I will talk to her later about it but it's a lot less than the trouble that I sometimes caused especially when I was a teen and thought that school was just…optional to go to," he shrugged as she laughed at that. "When I was this age though I'd often not do my work because it was boring and then I'd do it when there was only five minutes to spare. I liked seeing what others did first."

Just as Sarah was about to say something, the principal stood there with both five year olds looking down guiltily. "You can come in now," the principal said as Sarah and Kuon shared weak and understanding smiles with each other. "Well, Isabella, would you like to tell us what started your fight."

"I hit him in the head with a book," Isabella said as Kuon's eyes widened, he hadn't expected to hear that.

"Okay, and why did you do that, Bella?" he asked her and Bella looked down.

"Michael made fun of me because my mother's not alive," she said and Kuon looked towards Sarah who had a very apologetic look on her face.

…..

…..

Kyoko's eyes widened as she saw Grant duck Kuon's punch. He looked surprised as well and Kuon changed his position, if a punch wasn't going to work there were other ways of getting control over his opponent. Kuon lowered his leg, aiming a strike at Grant's chest and Kyoko saw as Grant stayed on the ground to dodge the kick whilst his hands were wrapped around something that she couldn't make out.

Did he actually have weapon? She stepped forwards and then saw Grant make a dash towards her and Kyoko remembered the time when Cain had nearly beaten up those three guys who she had played around with. She hadn't realized what a dangerous situation she was getting herself into at that time and it was good that Kuon…or Ren…or Cain had shown up when he did.

Still, one thing she would always remember about that fight was that the coward then, just like the coward now, had got his hands on a metal pipe. Her heart sank in her chest as she looked at what Grant was holding. "You don't want to do this," she told him as her hands wrapped around it. "Let him hit you. Let him beat you up. You don't want to do this," she said before seeing Grant desperately whip the pipe out of her hands which knocked Kyoko back a little bit.

Thinking that for some reason, Grant had hurt her, Kuon let himself get distracted from the fight and he ran over to Kyoko, placing one hand on her belly as well. He looked at her with a lot of love and concern in his eyes, "Are you okay?" he asked her, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Kuon, the fight, I'm fine, please concentra-" she said as she desperately looked between the two men.

Why wasn't he putting all of his attention into the fight. Grant was a coward, he would strike when he had the opportunity, he wouldn't hold back. Why wasn't Kuon giving this the same presence of mind that he had always done with Sho and that damn Beagle.

Kyoko wanted to scream at him, to force him to turn around before she heard a loud whack and felt Kuon fall into her arms. She caught him and propped him up before looking back at Grant who was going in for strike two. Kyoko attempted to reach out and stop him at which point the unconscious Kuon fell onto the ground and Grant made his third hit into the side of Kuon's head.

Kyoko stared at him in horror before she managed to get hold of the pipe herself.

"You fu**ing coward!" she yelled at him. She felt the pain in her chest erupt through her whole body and she carefully hid the pipe so that she could give it to the police officers when they arrived. "He wasn't going to kill you. He empathized with you and you -" she saw Kuon was breathing but just barely and it was extremely labored breaths, "honey, sweetheart, I'm right here," she said as she saw his breaths weaken and it was only then that she noticed all of the blood that was covering her legs and she looked around frantically.

There had to be something that she could do. If all the blood spilled out, if all of Kuon's blood spilled out then he'd die and he wouldn't be with her any longer. She saw him reach out for her hand although his eyes were closed.

"Be strong for me pri-ri-rincess. Take ca-ca-carre of them. I lo-lo-love y-you," he whispered as his voice started to shake in a way that wasn't typical for him.

Kyoko felt the tears cloud her vision and she pulled out her cell phone dialing for the police though she really hoped that somebody else had. She took off her cardigan and ripped it up to make bandages for him. "It's okay, you'll be okay," Kyoko whispered, "Just concentrate on your breaths, nice strong breaths," she said before seeing a man who hadn't been in the street before.

He walked over to them before managing to pick up Kuon in his arms despite the blood that was now getting onto his clothing. Kyoko wanted to protest and opened her mouth to do so but as she looked up, she understood what the man was doing with her husband.

"Let's go, Kyoko," he said and Kyoko nodded as she grabbed their possessions and the pipe before following the president.

That madman had to be jailed and put to death for this. Kuon hadn't wanted to put him in jail, he hadn't wanted to kill him or even have him die at the government's hand, he hadn't wanted him to live a life behind bars. Kuon just wanted to protect his family and he had been injured in that way, in getting distracted because of just how much he loved her.

…

…..

"Daddy, are you mad?" Isabella asked as she looked at her dad. Kuon hummed and shook his head, "Are you disappointed?" she asked as she held tight to her father's hand. Kuon sighed and stopped so that he could kneel next to her even in his good jeans.

"Darling, it's not that I'm mad and yes, I am a little disappointed because I know that you know hitting people is wrong," Kuon attempted to teach her and Isabella nodded. "I know what he said hurt you but you need to find ways of working out your problems without violence. Daddy sometimes has to teach himself that lesson."

"Daddy, you haven't hit anyone," Isabella said and Kuon laughed gently.

He paused before chuckling, "Wow, you're right, Bella. I haven't hit anybody for quite some time."

Bella rolled her eyes but smiled, "Daddy, when you were my age did you hit lots of people?"

Kuon paused, "Not when I was your age but…you know, when I was about twice your age and a little bit older, I thought that a lot of the problems that I had in life could be solved through hitting people and it made it a lot worse. Instead of thinking of ways that I could mend my relationship with these people, I would hit them. I thought that a lot of the negative things I was hearing would be solved by hitting those people but do you think it did?" he asked her seriously and Bella looked at him, seeing the maturity which he saw in her and shook her head.

"No. Hitting people makes you feel worse," she said and looked down, "Daddy, I promise not to hit anyone who is mean to me," she said and Kuon sighed.

"No, sometimes hitting people can be helpful but not usually," Kuon sighed, "How about if you try and find a grownup if you feel that somebody is being mean to you," he told her, "however if a stranger comes near you, hit them as much as you want." He sighed before smiling again, "You know, Bella, as sad as it makes me that you felt you had to hit Michael, I'm proud of you for apologizing to him."

Bella smiled as she threw her arms around her amazing daddy.

 **End of Chapter Forty Four**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter Forty Three**

Ashenvale: She cares so much about Kuon

Brennakai: Grant's full of bad ideas

Erza: Well, he would have 😊

Kris XD: Yep, no brain cells

Paulagato: Nearly but yeah he's an idiot

Rumly111: Oh no, well that was one of the ideas I was toying with so you might have to hate me 😉


	45. Chapter 45 - Nothing You Can Do

**AN:** There's a lot of unknowns in this chapter but I hope that I don't make anyone cry. I hope you continue to support my story even with this. 😊

 **Chapter Forty Five – Nothing You Can Do**

Kyoko stared at the ground as she sat with the doctor in their office. She didn't know what to say or how to react so she once again combed her fingers through her hair. She shouldn't have encouraged him to fight but then she hadn't had any idea that _this_ would happen. She wrapped her arms around herself as the doctor put papers in front of her that made no sense.

Her husband, the person who had been the most supportive of her coming back from the 'dead', was in a coma. He had sustained damage to his spinal cord as well as his head and they repeated that he was lucky to still be alive. He was hooked up to numerous machines including a respirator and they told her that they were analyzing his condition to see whether he needed more machines.

The first hit that Grant had made was in the spinal cord and the doctors had been debating whether that meant he was a paraplygeic or a quadriplegic. Neither of which was good. The second hit had been to the side of his body and so they had to do further analysis to see if any of his internal organs were damaged. The third hit had been to the right side of his head and it was the traumatic brain injury which had put him in this coma. The doctors didn't know whether there were only physical damages to the head or whether the brain itself would cause some psychological, mental, or emotional damages.

All of this would be verified by him waking up but he wasn't doing it and Kyoko was hating the way that the doctor attempted to reassure her by saying that it was lucky for him to be alive. They had been having a nice romantic day. They were going to celebrate Mother's Day the day after next. They were going to tell Isabella about the pregnancy.

If Kuon hadn't gone to use the restroom then this wouldn't have happened.

If Grant hadn't shown up, if they hadn't gone to that alleyway, if there hadn't been a piece of piping on the ground then she and Kuon would be sitting at home either watching a movie or having dinner with Lory.

Kuon wasn't lucky because none of this should have happened.

Kyoko looked down as the doctor said something.

"That's strange, you're his wife but you aren't the one that Mr. Hizuri specified to make the order to attempt to resuscitate him or not," he said and Kyoko looked at the table, her heart squeezing in her chest.

"I want you to keep him alive though," she said and the doctor nodded slowly, "Isn't that enough. I want you to keep him alive. Even if he's unable to take care of himself, I want you to keep him alive. Who has the power to tell you to take him off life support?" she asked weakly. Maybe she could plead her case to whoever that was to keep him alive.

"It says here that the DNR order is up to Kuu Hizuri to give," the doctor said and Kyoko didn't feel comfort from that. She didn't know why but she could imagine Kuu not wanting to see him in further pain and thinking that it was best for him to pass away quietly. She could see herself arguing with him and having him pull Kuon away from her for his own benefit. She wanted that power and control but it was too late, it was up to Kuu to decide.

The doctor talked about further treatment and Kyoko nodded, she collected the paperwork before going into the waiting room feeling that she was going to collapse at any moment. It was there that she saw Kuu talking to Lory and Kuu looking as if he could sink into a pit of despair.

"How is he?" Kuu asked, his voice coated with multiple layers of depression.

"You want to take him away from me," Kyoko accused him through tears and Kuu looked at her. He appeared in complete shock and disbelief but that didn't mean anything. He could still tell them to let Kuon die. "You want him to go away," she said as Kuu and Lory looked at each other.

"No, I…Kyoko…" Kuu said slowly, "What are you talking about? What's wrong? What -" he said as Kyoko sunk to the floor.

"The doctor said that….that you had the power over the DNR," she said and Kuu nodded slowly, "You're going to do it."

"I'm going to do what?" Kuu asked, "You think I'm going to tell them to let my son die. Is the situation that bad that you think that of me?" he asked as he tried not to get angry. His anger wouldn't help in this situation but he felt disgusted. His love for Kuon wouldn't change no matter what. However, he knew that Kuon didn't want to be a human vegetable and that was the only reason he would ask for that.

"They say he might have brain damage and he won't be able to think properly or that he has quadriplegia," Kyoko sobbed, the pain in her chest not allowing her to move from the floor. "If he has mental difficulty then I want to take care of him but seeing your perfect son like that….you wouldn't be able to do that, would you, Father?"

"If my son had disabilities, he'd still be my son and I love my son," Kuu said as he tried to keep his voice soft and calm but he didn't like what Kyoko was accusing him of. "Before you came back, Kuon jokingly asked me if I would take care of him if it was ever required and I said yes without any hesitation. I love my son with my whole heart and I won't let anybody take him away from me. Whatever that monster has done to him, Kuon is Kuon and unless it's something he's asked for, I will do whatever I can to keep him alive. I can't believe that you'd think any less of me."

"Which means that you need to keep yourself out of prison," Lory said with a very quiet voice as Kuu clenched his fist and then opened it, hate burning in his eyes as Kyoko looked between the two men. "Don't do what you just told me," Lory said, "Let the court's deal with it at least or maybe not do it yourself. Kuon needs you not to be charged on the witness stand."

Kuu took deep breaths as he looked at Lory, "I want to do what we were discussing," he said and Lory shook his head.

"Shuuhei," he said calmly, "What you were detailing is first degree murder," he said in a way he knew that only Kuu and Kyoko would be able to hear. "Kuon needs more than that, he deserves more than to have you locked up as a criminal."

Kyoko looked between the two men as well, she wasn't surprised to hear this but Lory only called him Shuuhei when he was really depressed or they were having a heart to heart discussion. It was a private name now but Kyoko was guessing that it wasn't making Kuu feel any more rooted. She stood and both men stood after her. "I'm going to take a walk," she said in a quite hollow manner, "Bella must be wondering what's going on."

…

…

It wasn't a new fact to Kyoko that Bella had a favorite parent and she understood why. For most of her life, Bella had been told by everyone around her that she had passed away. It was her father who, although he might not have been able to do everything by himself, who had raised her. He had spent her birthdays with her. He had been there to comfort her when she was upset about something. He was there to play with her when she needed him. He had been the one to show her the world.

Kyoko was scared that there might be a time when she had to do all of that herself without Kuon. She felt lonely and terrified, this was the first time since her return when she had actually felt alone.

As she entered the house, her heart broke as Bella came running towards her before she stopped and tried to look behind Kyoko. She was looking for a father who might never come home. "Hey, Bella," Kyoko smiled as she saw the little girl still looking around. "Daddy's not coming back tonight. He's…" she shook her head, "he's not able to come home."

The color drained from Bella's face as she looked at her mother and then turned to grab onto her grandmother's hand, "Did he hurt himself again?" she asked, "He promised that he wouldn't leave. He promised he'd stay. He promised he'd stay with me."

"Bella," Kyoko said as she felt the pain in her chest, "Daddy didn't hurt himself but…" she took a deep breath in, deciding just to be honest with the little girl, "he did get hurt. Somebody else hit Daddy and he got hurt."

"Then he gets a band aid or another cast. Daddy's strong. Daddy gets bruises and he puts ice on them and then I help him feel better. I always help Daddy feel better," Bella said as she pressed her face into Julie's leg.

"I don't think Daddy's been hurt this badly before," she tried to explain. Kyoko felt her heart clench at that, she didn't think he'd been hurt like this before but she didn't know. There was a lot of Kuon's life that was a blank to her. There was so much about Bella that she didn't know.

Bella looked at her grandmother before reaching her arms up like she always had as a child when she wanted one of the three family members who had raised her to pick her up. Julie did so without hesitation, bringing Bella close to her body whilst seeing Kyoko's pain. Bella needed to be comforted but Julie could see the pain on Kyoko's face of her daughter wanting somebody else even if it was her grandmother.

"I want to go to Grandma's house," Bella sobbed as Julie looked at Kyoko noticing the pain that she was in. Why wouldn't her daughter chose her grandparents over her.

"How about if Grandma and Grandpa stay here?" Julie asked Bella as she rocked her from side to side. Everyone knew how important her daddy was to her. He had always tried his best to be a good father and provider for her, he had had a couple of missteps and some points where he had lost it or broken down, but he had always tried her best to be the best father he could possibly be.

Bella saw her dad as more than a parental figure. He was her friend, he was someone who she could go to for anything, he was someone who prioritized her over himself and would play and laugh and do activities together. Her father understood her better than anybody. Julie felt in her heart that if they lost Kuon, Bella would never be the same. For so many years the two had had one another and even with her and Kuu present in their lives, it wasn't anything like the bond that the two of them had.

Bella shook her head before pointing at Kyoko, "It's her fault. Daddy was okay before she came back. Daddy didn't smile as much but he didn't get hurt. It's her fault."

Kyoko froze, her body turning to ice as she saw how Kuon had gotten hurt because he had been worried about her. He had lost his concentration and become distracted from the fight and given Grant the upper hand because he was concerned about her and their new baby. Kyoko didn't have any response to give her daughter.

"Bella," Julie said as she tried to calm down the little girl.

"You're right, Bella," Kyoko said as she put a hand to her heart, "It is my fault and there's nothing that I can do to make it okay."

 **End of Chapter Forty Five**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Forty Four**

Ashenvale: Your review showed as Chapter 38 but because Grant hadn't done anything jaily-worthy at that point I'm going to assume it was for last chapter and yes, to think that Kuon was the only person who wanted to keep him out of jail

Brennakai: Lory just wishes he showed up a little earlier so he could prevent this

Ivy: Well, we'll have to see 😉

Kris XD: Kuon is an amazing father who adores his daughter

Ktoll9: Yep, he is that a flaming butthole

Paulagato: Well, he is an extremely stupid person

Undertheskys: We'll have to see how Kuon is later 😉


	46. Chapter 46 - I Can't See Him

**AN:** You know, I fought against the temptation to time skip or to have Kuon wake up earlier than expected but I know that you guys want to see him in the coma, probably 😉 Hope you enjoy the chapter and I don't know the next chapter Kuon will be awake in _if_ he wakes up

 **Chapter Forty Six – I Can't See Him**

The next day, Julie came into the hospital with Bella in her arms. Bella was holding tightly to her grandmother, scared about what was going on. This was different from the time before when he had been hurt, this wasn't him hiding underneath the sheets. Instead it seemed much quieter.

Her daddy just lay there with multiple machines and bandages and deep bruising on his face. He looked like he was asleep in one of those plays. Bella looked at him before scrambling to the ground and getting to a chair so she could look at his face. She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before looking at the different wires and machines.

"Bella, please don't touch anything, okay?" Julie asked as she tried to keep herself from sobbing.

Kuon's mouth was underneath a respirator and he had a catheter into his upper arm. The heart monitor was attracting Bella's attention the most as she watched how it blipped, her own heart squeezing tighter every time that it didn't but her grandfather had told her it was good when it didn't flatline. Her dad had a few more tubes and then had been told he had had another catheter in earlier to drain his bladder.

She didn't know what everything did but she knew that she hadn't seen her daddy in this condition before.

"He's going to wake up, right?" she asked her grandparents who looked at each other. Although they both had the feeling that Kuon would be able to fight back from this they didn't want to chance giving a little girl empty promises.

"Your father is very lucky to be alive," the doctor said as Isabella attempted to hide from him. Stepping behind her grandmother. "He's taken quite a beating but he definitely looks better than he did yesterday."

Kuu smiled before standing up to face the doctor. "Do you have any further information on his brain activity or if there is to be any surgery or….or anything that we can do for him? I don't know what to do for him so if you could give -"

"He needs a few days to stabilize, we should be able to have a clearer read on the diagnosis for his health at the end of the week but talk to him, he probably is hearing every word that's being said around him but he can't respond," the doctor sighed, "I'll let you know if there's anything that you can do."

"It's her fault that Daddy's here," Isabella said as the doctor left and Kuu and Julie looked between themselves.

"Daddy was attacked by someone. He -" Kuu tried but Isabella cut him off.

"Daddy's shown me videos of his training, he's shown me the stunts that he can do. Daddy fell off of a building into water and just injured his wrist. Daddy's fast and if he can't fight then I know that he can run away. Daddy sees things too. Whenever we've played hide and seek, he's spotted me even when I'm trying my hardest to hide but when he's with her, he's not strong or fast or sees things. He's just too busy watching out for her," Bella said as she brushed her hand through Kuon's facial hair. "It was better when it was just Daddy and me."

"I don't think that your mother was attempting to cause problems," Julie said as she looked at Kuu for help.

"Do you think that your mother wants your dad to be like this?" he said as he sat down to be at Isabella's level. "Do you think that she's happy he got hurt?"

"No," Isabella whispered as she looked down, "It was just…before she came to be with me and Daddy, Daddy never got hurt like this. She's the one who hurt Daddy. She wanted all his attention and he got distracted and he got hurt."

Julie opened her mouth to say something though what Bella was telling the two of them did at least sound similar to what Kyoko had said had actually happened the previous day.

"Why isn't she here if she loves Daddy so much?" Bella pouted and Kuu sighed. He wished that Kyoko would get here. He knew that she was talking to Lory but he just wished that she'd come here and realize that her presence might bring Kuon out of the coma.

"I think that she's a little scared to see Daddy like this," Julie attempted to comfort the little girl but Isabella shook her head. She didn't want to accept that excuse.

"Daddy would want her here," she pouted, "Daddy would want her to care about him."

"I promise you that your mother does care about both of you very very much," Kuu tried to reassure his granddaughter but he wasn't sure if she believed him.

...

…

Kyoko looked down from where she sat on the sofa, her hair a mess as she kept pushing her hands through it. She felt as if she was living in a nightmare. She could see his face turning from concern to oh god, where did this pain come from. She was afraid to see him. She shouldn't have encouraged the fight, she should have tried to persuade him not to show his anger and find a way of dealing with it.

She felt the tears returning to her eyes as she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

"Are you going to see him?" Lory asked as he watched her and Kyoko shook her head as she looked at the floor. She felt that she didn't deserve to see him. She had hurt him, she was responsible for where he was right now. She was responsible for the pain and the wounds and nothing could stop that from being true.

"I can't. This isn't even the life I chose," Kyoko said trying to tell herself that she wasn't being completely selfish, she just wanted to avoid what was going on and seeing him with all of those tubes on him would make this worse and bring her into reality. "This is all his. This is what he worked so hard for. This is his house, his life, his money," Kyoko whispered as she looked at the floor.

Lory sighed, "I expected more of you, Kyoko," he said. He knew he was being blunt and that could hurt the woman in front of him in ways that he hadn't wanted to but Kuon might even notice that she wasn't there. If he did wake up and if he was disabled then he'd think he wasn't worthy of her. He had kept his loyalty to her for such a long time and Lory didn't want to even consider the idea that Kuon might not think himself worthy of being with Kyoko, he was much more than worthy.

"You don't know how it's like, I didn't plan any of this, I only woke up a few months ago and it was all here, it was all already here," Kyoko told him and Lory sighed before nodding.

"Yes, it was," he said, "he's worked incredibly hard which hasn't been easy on him. When you first passed, he was reminded constantly of his past and of the people he'd let down. You can't even imagine the pain that he's been through," Lory said before sighing, "I can't force you to see him but I did expect for you to be at his bedside."

"He's the one who supported me, without him I'm alone and it's not fair," Kyoko whispered as her hands shook. She _did_ want to see him but she was terrified of seeing what she'd caused, terrified of seeing how she had hurt him with her own actions. She had stopped him from living. She had stolen what he cared so much about.

"Kuon's more than a tutorial in a videogame," Lory said firmly and Kyoko nodded shakily, "He's not just going to show you the ropes and then leave, he's a main character and sometimes mistakes happen. Sometimes really bad mistakes happen but that's when you prove that you can get through anything," he sighed before standing up. "I'll be staying in America a little bit longer than I originally planned, I hope you can get the strength to sit beside him but that is your choice. I'm not going to meddle in your love story, I've never intended to."

Kyoko looked at the ground, "What if he wakes up and he hates me?" she asked, the fear heavily coating her words.

"Then you convince him why he shouldn't but I doubt that would happen," Lory told her before he finally left and Kyoko lay down on the sofa as she wept. She couldn't do this, she couldn't hold on without him and she couldn't see him. She didn't deserve to see him.

Kyoko looked down at her belly. Whatever happened to Kuon, there was still a baby in her body, the doctors had told her that as well so whatever happened there was still a new piece of Kuon that she had to take care of. She tried to brush away her tears. If he wanted her in the hospital room then why would she just leave and listen to her fear. He wanted her and she was being selfish in attempting to stay away from him.

With another deep breath, Kyoko decided on what she had to do.

…..

…..

As Kuu and Julie continued to talk to Bella about her father and what could happen over the next few weeks, although they sidestepped the idea of Kuon dying, Kyoko turned up at the doorway. She didn't know what to say to any of them especially Bella. This was Kuon's family and though Bella was her daughter, she and Bella had never had the chance to bond in the way that she and Kuon had.

"May I have a little time alone with him?" she asked before dropping into a deep and respectful bow. She didn't know whether she had any right to ask that that request be fulfilled but she didn't want to run away any longer.

Julie nodded as she let her hand sweep through her son's hair again and Kuu picked Isabella up.

"How about if we go and get something for lunch," Kuu said and Bella turned her face into Kuu's chest so that she didn't have to look at her mother. She still blamed her for what had happened to her daddy. Kyoko felt guilty and subconsciously put a hand over her belly thinking about how she was going to have a baby and hopefully Kuon would be there to help raise them.

"Hello, sweetheart," she said as she sat next to him. She pressed a light kiss to his forehead and tried to hold back her tears. "I don't know if you can hear me," she told him, "but I love you. I don't blame you for everyone's sadness so please don't blame yourself either. I think I can hold it together for a little while but please come back to us. I love you sweetheart, I always will love you so please fight for us if that isn't too much to ask for."

Kyoko took a deep breath as she heard the beeps from the heart monitor. She still felt so alone but as she looked at him she knew that she never wanted to leave him. She was so selfish to want to push him away, that wasn't the right thing to do. "You've done so well on your own," she said, "You've created this whole life and you must be tired so please rest but don't let your rest last too long or I'll get lonely."

She placed a hand on his cheek before kissing his forehead again, "I love you more than anything, my sweetest Corn."

 **End of Chapter Forty Six**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Chapter Forty Five**

Kris XD: Yeah, Bella loves her dad and even though she is older than a tiny kid she still gets upset without him

Loyalty counts: I hope you enjoy it and yes, Kyoko is in a lot of pain over this

Paulagato: Definitely, we'll have to see how he heals _if_ he heals


	47. Chapter 47 - Mother's Day

**AN:** I hope you enjoy this chapter 😊 I thought it was important to do a Mother's Day chapter despite it not being completely focused on mother's day. Also, I just reached 1.2M words on the site 😊

 **Chapter Forty Seven – Mother's Day**

Kyoko looked at her husband as she came into the hospital the following day. His condition hadn't changed which meant that he wasn't likely to wake up that day but that also meant that he wasn't likely to pass away. She gently placed a hand on his cheek and smiled at him. The doctors had said that he had had some brain damage as well as some paralysis. That definitely sounded bad.

"I love you," she whispered as she gazed at the thirty-two-year-old. He had managed to live until he was in his early thirties despite her absence since his mid-twenties. She knew that it had been hard for him and she knew that she would have struggled without him.

She looked at the heart monitor as she counted the beat. She just hoped that his heart was good. She hoped that soon she would know what a 'good' heartbeat sounded like. She let her fingers brush through his hair again and she kissed his forehead.

"Please come back to us soon," she said in an almost begging manner through which Kuon continued to remain in a coma. Kyoko picked up his good hand, "I don't care about your physical and mental disabilities," she whispered as she felt her chest ache, "I'll take care of you if you need me to. Please just come back to us."

As she sat there, trying her hardest not to cry a nurse came to the door.

"The doctor asked me to check a few things," she said and Kyoko nodded. She saw the woman come in and change the bag for the IV, she saw the way she touched Kuon as if he were a thing instead of a person. She sighed before the nurse turned to her. "Oh, before I forget Mrs. Hizuri, happy mother's day."

….

….

Bella looked down at the card that she had drawn and the present that she had picked out for her mother. She felt the tears roll down her face as she tried to figure out whether or not to give it to her. She could picture her dad's smiling face as they worked together on them and how much her daddy had wanted her to celebrate her mother but on the other hand, it was her mother's fault that her father was like that. She wrapped her arms around herself as she sat on the bed trying to take deep breaths.

Her grandparents had said that she wouldn't be going to school the next day but Isabella hoped that she could go later on in the week. She didn't want to be around her mother. She wanted her dad to come home but people told her that he still needed to be in the hospital.

It felt lonely without her dad. He would always run her bath for her and make sure she had cleaned her teeth and then they would take turns reading together. He always smiled to her and tried to make sure that she was happy. He wasn't doing any of that anymore because he had been hurt.

The house was so empty without him being there to fill it with his love.

As she sat with her arms around her knees, she heard a knock on the door and then looked up to see her grandmother enter. As much as she loved her grandmother, it was her dad that she wanted. He just wasn't able to come.

"Hey, Bella," Julie said as she walked forward and sat on the bed next to her. "Oh, what a pretty card," she smiled as she picked it up to look at it. "Are you giving it to your mom today?"

"I don't know," Bella mumbled as she looked down and Julie pulled her into her arms.

"I know that Daddy would want you to give your mother the card," Julie tried to encourage her and Bella looked down at the floor of her room. Her daddy had helped her chose the different pieces of furniture in the room, her daddy had helped her decide where they went and what books and toys she had. Although her dad did say no sometimes to the things that she wanted, he had given her so much.

Bella allowed her body to rest against her grandmother's chest, "Really?" she asked and Julie nodded.

"Your father's main wish was always that the two of you be happy. That never changed," she tried to assure Bella. "Don't you feel happy when you get cards and presents," she said and Bella nodded through tears as she looked at the numerous gifts that her father had given her. Of course she loved it when he spoiled her.

"He'll be happy if I give her the card and present, right?" Bella asked and Julie sighed.

"Well, when he wakes up, I'm sure that he will be thrilled if you tell him all about it," she let her fingers run through Bella's hair again. "But don't you want to do it?" she asked, "Don't you want to see your mother happy and see her excited about what you've done for her. I'm sure that you've put a lot of hard work and thought into making your card and picking out your present."

Bella sighed before nodding, "but how can I do something nice for the person who hurt Daddy?" she asked and Julie sighed as she cuddled her close.

"Your mother never wanted Daddy to get hurt. Your mother loves Daddy so much but sometimes we can't help the ones that we love. I wasn't able to help Daddy because I wasn't there but I want to help him now." Julie tried to reassure the little girl, "and I know your mother wants to do everything she can to help."

Bella nodded, "I'll give it to her but it doesn't mean I completely forgive her," she said and Julie smiled. "Can we go see Daddy now?"

"Let's go soon, I think that Grandpa's going to see him this afternoon since he has work that he needs to do this morning so if you want to go later too then I'd ask him." Julie snuggled with her granddaughter once more, "Okay, let's get ready to go," she said as she kissed the top of Bella's head, "I'm proud of you, my darling," she said, "You're doing something nice for your mother instead of giving into your pain."

Isabella smiled weakly, "Would Daddy be proud of me?" she asked innocently and Julie nodded.

"Yes, I believe he'd be very proud of you. Your father is _always_ proud of you."

…

…

Kyoko sighed as she picked up a magazine and looked at a promotional ad for The Green Arrow. She sighed, would Kuon even be able to see it in the end. Would he be able to watch this movie that he had been so excited about acting in? They had planned to see it together but she had no idea if he would wake up in time or the state that he would be in _once_ he woke up. She pressed another kiss to his forehead.

"I hope you come back soon," she said as she saw a few tears drop onto his forehead and she quickly apologized before cleaning them up. She wasn't sure if he could hear her or if his ear had been damaged underneath the bandages but she wanted to try and comfort him. There wasn't much else she could actually do but try.

Kyoko put a hand to her chest to try to control her crying. She didn't want him to hear her pain and her sadness. She needed to control it inside of her. She didn't want to be an even greater burden on her family.

As Kyoko sat there, she heard someone arrive at the door and turned to see Bella and Julie there. Bella was holding a bag and Kyoko wondered whether she had brought something for Kuon. Maybe a stuffed animal of some kind that she could place at his side. Kyoko stood as she looked at the two women. "Hello," she said awkwardly. She didn't know what to say to the daughter and mother of the man that she had caused to be in this condition. "There hasn't been any change," she told Julie before watching Bella come to sit beside Kuon.

"He looks better," Isabella said and Kyoko stiffened. She didn't want to tell her daughter that it was only in her imagination that Kuon looked better and she didn't want to tell her that she was wrong so she just nodded weakly.

After stroking her dad a few times, Bella got down on the ground and went to Kyoko. "Mommy," she said and Kyoko's eyes lit up as she heard that word. She nodded and crouched down opposite Bella. "I have something for you."

"Oh," Kyoko said as she tucked a strand of her own hair behind her ear. "What is it, Bella? Is there something that I can help with?" she said as she tried not to show either Bella or Julie how scared she was in this situation.

Bella handed her the card and a wrapped box, "Happy Mother's Day," she said and Kyoko's mouth turned into a large grin as her eyes sparkled with tears. She took the card happily, admiring the artwork on the front.

"Bella, this is gorgeous," she said as she looked at the well drawn picture of the three of them, "Thank you so much," she said before continuing to compliment it. After doing so, she picked up the gift. "Is it okay if I open it now?" she asked and Bella nodded nervously.

Kyoko opened the box and saw a keychain that was in the shape of a heart, on it were the words 'To Mommy – love Bella'. Kyoko felt a couple of tears fall from her eyes as she turned it in her hand. This was the first gift that Bella had ever given her, well aside from being alive, and she couldn't help but to love it. She quickly put it to her own heart and reached out for Bella, afraid that the little girl would recoil from her.

Instead, Bella rushed into her arms and Kyoko wrapped her up closely.

"Thank you," she said happily despite the other situation in the room, "Thank you so much."

….

…

Bella had decided to go home with Kyoko and after making sure that Kuon was as okay as he could be and putting a warm blanket over him, they had gone home. Kyoko would try her best to be as good a mother as Kuon was a father, she just needed some time to fall into the role. The gift and card had definitely inspired her to try to do just that.

As the two of them entered the gates, they heard a sound of heavy breathing and the shadow of a man. Kyoko put her hands on Bella's shoulders protectively. Whatever was going on, her main intention was to keep Bella safe. She would never forgive herself if Bella were to get hurt.

She took deep breaths to calm herself and then felt a sense of peace as she saw that it was Yashiro who was approaching them. However, her fear started to enter her as she saw that there was blood on his face, on his hands, and on his clothes. She blinked hard. What had happened? What had she missed when she had been with Kuon?

"Uncle Yashiro?" Bella gasped as she looked at him, "Are you hurt?" she asked and Kyoko could see the guilt on Yashiro's face.

"I might have done something terrible," he told the two of them and Kyoko couldn't help but to feel that he didn't sound like himself at all.

 **End of Chapter Forty Seven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you reviewers of Chapter Forty Six**

Ashenvale: Yes, it was very sad

Erza: Well I can't tell you that, it wouldn't be a surprise 😉

Kris XD: I know, we might have to see that

Loyalty counts: Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well

Paulagato: They will definitely have to rely on one another to get through this

Undertheskys: I hope Bella can recover but I'm not sure


	48. Chapter48-The Words Which Have Been Said

**AN:** In another one of my fics, I wrote about a coma but when the person woke up they didn't really act like they had just come out of a coma. This time I decided to do some research but having not experienced it there might still be some inaccuracies. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

 **Chapter Forty Eight – The Things Which Have Been Said**

"Are you feeling better?" Kyoko asked as she came over to Yashiro with another dry towel as well as a cup of tea. She hadn't asked any questions and she knew that Yashiro wouldn't want whatever he had done to bring misfortune to the Hizuri family. Yashiro was still Kuon's best friend and a close friend to Kyoko as well, she wasn't going to cast him out when he was covered in blood.

"I am, thank you," Yashiro said as he still had a rather guilty and shocked expression on his face.

"So, what happened?" Kyoko asked, "Obviously Hana wasn't with you this time or you would have gone back home. Do flowers need to be planted?" she asked and Yashiro sighed.

"It was a two-sided match," he said and Kyoko nodded slowly, "Let's say that I thought I saw him with a weapon and I shouldn't have used it near his face."

Kyoko nodded slowly, "I'm really sorry," she apologized, "I think I'm missing something in there. Grant approached you with a weapon?"

"No, he said he had it on him for protection but yes, to be factual he approached me whilst carrying a weapon and a fight broke out," Yashiro said as he accepted the towel from her and cleaned his glasses again. "I should have just left it but with what happened to Kuon."

"I am assuming that since you have bruises too that a fight broke out," Kyoko said before taking another breath in. She didn't know why Grant was even out of a jail cell let alone walking around with a weapon.

"I cut his cheek and a little bit of his neck," Yashiro said timidly and Kyoko paused, she put the side of her hand to her cheek and then curved it down her neck. Her eyes widened but Yashiro caught her before she could ask the question. "He's alive, yes, yes, he's alive but I might have messed with his physical appearance and his vocal chords. I managed to make it look like a fair fight, I've actually done some research and since he approached me with a wea-"

"You've done research?" Kyoko asked confused.

"Well, you know in case Kuon ever got into trouble," Yashiro tried to explain as Kyoko still looked very taken aback. She looked at the thirty-seven-year-old man not sure how to feel. All she knew was that she didn't want Yashiro behind bars but she was so thankful to him for his loyalty. "The security cameras would show that _he_ approached _me_ with a weapon."

Kyoko nodded slowly, "Can you tell me what happened?" she asked and Yashiro stared down

"I'd really prefer not to," he replied and Kyoko nodded, respecting his privacy.

…..

…..

 **Time Jump : Three Weeks Later**

 _Mrs. Hizuri, if you could look over this paperwork._

 _Mrs. Hizuri, since you'll be acting in Kuon Hizuri's place considering the court case, we need to get a written statement for you._

 _Would having the trial in one month from today work for you in the event that Mr. Hizuri doesn't wake up._

Kyoko shivered as those thoughts circled around in her head. She didn't know what to do and she wasn't able to wake Kuon up and ask him what he wanted to do. They had said in the past few days that Kuon was improving but he didn't really look like he was improving to Kyoko. He still looked as if he were trapped. They had removed the bandages on his head and there was some definite damage including heavy bruising and apparently his skull had cracked but they hadn't told her the severity of those injuries. His spine had a bruise that had started off as a deep dark black before and the doctors had confirmed that there would be at least some paralysis .

Along with all of this, Kyoko had been able to spend some time with Isabella and bond with her. She had also worked on a few modelling shoots and two runway shows but she wanted to spend more time at the hospital. She felt terrible when she couldn't spend more than half an hour with him.

She closed her eyes as she remembered how positive he had been as Ren and how, even though he toyed with her a little and said some mean things, she would always love getting advice from him. She loved him so deeply at that point that it had taken a while for her to even understand how much you could love someone. For her now, she wasn't sure if she could ever stop loving him as much as she currently did.

Hearing a buzz from her phone, Kyoko sighed and leaned over to Kuon, pressing her lips to his forehead. She let her fingers run down his cheeks as her heart ached in her chest. She missed him so much.

"You hang in there, sweetheart," she said with tears in her eyes, "I'll come back tomorrow. I love you, well all love you. I promise that I'll be here tomorrow," she said before kissing him again. "My prince, my white knight, my Kuon."

She knelt down so she could wrap her arms around his body before picking her bag up and turning to leave. She didn't know how long she could handle this. She just knew that she wanted him.

She took soft footsteps towards the door before hearing something that made her freeze.

"Please….d-d-on't go,"

It was a soft voice, little more than a whisper but it was a voice that she had been wanting to hear for so long. Maybe it was her imagination playing tricks on her. She had heard his voice so many times in her head. She was losing it. She looked back at the bed, "I love you," she said before her eyes widened as she saw his eyes move very slightly and then close as he made a very subtle flinch.

Kyoko dropped her bag onto the floor and went back to the bed.

Was she just imagining all of this? She wanted to see him open his eyes, just to see those emerald eyes that made her feel weak in the knees. She wanted to get close to him, closer than she currently was.

"Kuon?" she whispered before seeing his eyes flicker again and after she had managed to control her breaths, she saw his eyes open very slightly and his face showed a lot of pain but he turned his head slowly to look at her.

"H—hi," he whispered as Kyoko dashed to his side. She knelt in front of him and picked up his hand kissing the back of it numerous times before holding it to her cheek.

Kyoko immediately called for the nurse button as she smiled through her tears at her husband. Despite the pain he was going through and how disoriented he seemed, he was awake. He had woken up. Kyoko placed another kiss to the back of his hand and felt his fingers slowly move around her own hand. So he wasn't fully paralyzed.

"I'm here, my sweet Corn," she whispered seeing him looking at her without saying anything but just seeing him smiling and watching her was good enough. She watched as his eyes slowly closed but he continued to smile to her and the nurse came into the room.

"Is there a problem?" she asked nervously and Kyoko laughed softly.

"He woke up," she said as she attempted to get rid of the tears with the hand that wasn't holding onto his. "Only for a moment and then he went back to sleep but he woke up."

"I'll alert the doctor," the nurse told her with a smile and then saw Kyoko's hesitation, "Is there something wrong, Mrs. Hizuri?"

"He was only awake for a moment," Kyoko told her, "Is that okay? His eyes showed he was in pain and he flinched, he had a little trouble talking but he," Kyoko tried to stop the tears that were in her eyes, "he asked me not to leave him and he opened his eyes to look at me and then said "hi", is it bad that he's asleep again?" she asked desperately.

The nurse shook her head, "That happens when people come out of comas. Their brains are still trying to work right but we know that he's alive and he'll probably wake up again in maybe half an hour but probably a little longer, he needs a lot of rest after what he's been through."

Kyoko nodded, she needed to make a phone call and get the rest of the night off, she needed to be here for when he next woke up. She looked at her phone before pausing and looked at the nurse, "He squeezed my hand. Can you let the doctor know that he squeezed my hand?" she asked before gently kissing his forehead again.

….

….

Two hours later, Kyoko was still waiting as she was curled up in the hospital chair. She had called Julie to tell her what had happened and to apologize for missing the runway that night. She had also asked her to take care of Isabella and not to crowd Kuon too much during his recovery stage. She would see how he was tonight and then she would try to arrange something for the next day where more people could see him.

She had been watching him intently for the first hour or so but he hadn't woken up and she had moved onto looking through some magazines. She just wanted to be here with him but understood how he needed his rest as well. She put the magazine down as she heard movement in the bed and smiled as those gorgeous emerald eyes opened and turned to her.

Kyoko pressed the call button before smiling at her husband. "Hi, sweetheart," she whispered. "I'm so happy to see you awake."

"Kyo-kko," Kuon whispered as he looked at her before he flinched in pain and Kyoko reached out to him. She calmly placed a hand on his chest and made eye contact with him.

"What is it, sweetheart? What hurts?" she asked as she heard the doctors coming in. She knew he was in pain and it hurt her that he was. He would always make sure to conceal those emotions from her and whereas she had often felt betrayed by him not letting her in, this time she was more worried about him.

Kuon lifted his hand and gestured to his head.

"Your head hurts?" she asked and he gave a weak nod, "I know, it must hurt, how's it hurting, a buzzing or is it a stinging, a sense of fullness?" she asked and he continued to stare at her. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything else.

"Kyoko," he repeated again and Kyoko nodded.

"I'm here, darling," she said through her sobs as she saw how exhausted Kuon was. She heard the doctors in the room and brought his hand up to her lips once again as the doctors did examinations on him. Kyoko looked at the doctor who had been primarily in charge of Kuon, "He said that his head hurt," she told them. "Is there something that he can take for it or some kind of pain medication you can pump into him? I don't want his head to hurt."

"Did he actually tell you that his head hurt?" the doctor asked and Kyoko paused, "I mean, did he orally tell you that his head hurt?"

"No," Kyoko whispered, "but he gestured and…why does it matter how he told me? He told me that his head hurt and I want to make sure he doesn't feel pain."

"Before we do that, can you tell me if he orally told you that his head hurt?" he repeated and Kyoko looked at him confused.

"Why does that even matter?" she asked and the doctor hesitated before nodding without answering that question.

 **End of Chapter Forty Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Chapter Forty Seven**

Erza: Glad you like it, and yes family matters 😊

KrisXD: It was not good what he did but we'll find that out later 😉

Ktoll9: You would be correct but it'll be shown later what happened

Loyalty counts: Well Kyoko is stuck in a time different from hers and she's still finding her feet

Paulagato: Well Kyoko wouldn't have told her yet but she did want to take care of Bella

Undertheskys: Well you'll have to wait and see


	49. Chapter 49 - Love From Someone Else

**AN:** I hope you like this. In this chapter I am using something called the Rancho Los Amigos Scale so when you hear things on the scale that's the scale that it's referring to. Well, I really hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter Forty Nine – Love from Someone Else**

Kyoko smiled as the doctors went away and she kissed Kuon's head again, she wrapped her arms around him and saw him make room in the bed for her or at least he started to before his eyes widened. Kyoko looked at him confused.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she asked as she tried to concentrate on his eyes to see if she could read what was going on in his mind as much as she used to. She saw him look down guiltily and reached out to let her hand brush through his hair again. "Sweetheart, can you speak?" she asked as she saw a flash of fear.

Kuon took some slow breaths before he spoke very softly and very slowly, "I…I th-th-thin-kk" the pain reflected on his face and Kyoko put a hand on his shoulder.

"If it's hard then please don't," she tried to beg him. She didn't want to lose him again. "Is there a…"

Kuon looked at her before she could see the pain in his eyes once again, "m-mm-my le…legs," he said as he gestured before shaking his head, "ccca—" Kyoko saw his face go into a lot of pain which usually he would attempt to hide from her and Kyoko thought back about what the doctors said. So it was true, Kuon wasn't able to move or feel his legs.

Kyoko gently got into the bed with him, making sure not to step or pull on any of the wires and she slowly touched his leg as he looked at her depressed. "I love you," she whispered as she pushed her face into his chest. "I love you so much,"

"I….I'mm..nno…" Kuon began slowly and Kyoko lifted her head to look at him. She had to have patience with him which was something that was easy for her to give. His brain had been severely injured, he needed more time to talk to her and he also seemed to be shaky on his words. "-tt as…smm—a-artt a—"

"What are you talking about?" Kyoko asked as she saw how tired talking was making him, she didn't want him to overexert himself which was something she had learned very early on with working with Ren, Kuon didn't listen to his own body and so he often pushed himself more than he should. "You are smart. You're smart, kind, understanding, compassionate, intelligent, gorgeous, sexy," she sighed as she was able to hear his heartbeat under her ear.

There would definitely be a period of rehabilitation but at least he wasn't dead. She could handle helping him with the different therapies that he might have to have or even defending him against thousands of critics when it came to his new disabilities but death, she couldn't handle his death.

"Just rest sweetheart," Kyoko said as she knew how painful this must be on him. He was used to being able to do the unexpected and to do amazing things, having trouble with things like talking and thinking and the fact that his legs weren't working, well those things would be painful for him, she just hoped she could motivate him enough to pull out of his depression.

"I'm here," Kyoko whispered as she saw Kuon smile weakly, his eyes starting to close again, "It's okay, sweetheart, I'm here."

…

…

Kyoko sighed as she got out of the hospital bed the next morning, she saw Kuon sleeping with a troubled expression on his face and she got around to straightening the bed around him. She sat down as she let her hand rest on his chest and she felt comfortable about the breathing. Hopefully he would get better soon. The doctors had put him on a lot of drugs the previous night and had warned her that there might be some complications this day that hadn't happened the previous night.

At least he was alive.

Going over to her bag, Kyoko picked up a brush and tried to run it through her hair. She supposed that if she looked in a mirror, she would look as exhausted as she felt. She sighed as she used the brush and kept gazing over at Kuon who was still asleep.

Kyoko heard a knock on the door and then turned to see Kuu there, he poked his head in as he looked at them. "Is it okay if I come in?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. She stood up and walked towards him, tears in her eyes.

"Hi, Father," she said before seeing him looking over at Kuon, "He's sleeping. He's having a little bit of a hard time with speaking and I think he's a little disoriented, he also can't feel or move his legs but the doctor said that he might be able to in the future so there is hope," she said and Kuu smiled as he ran a thumb over the sleeping man's forehead.

"The doctor said he wanted to speak to you about something but first, are you doing okay? Is there anything that _you_ need to talk about?" Kuu asked and Kyoko bowed her head, shaking it as she tried to keep herself calm. She knew that there was a lot of problems that arouse from the accident but couldn't she keep focusing on how Kuon was alive.

"I'm fine," she lied as she tried to fool Kuu with her acting. She didn't like what the doctor had said to her already and she wanted to argue with him. She wanted things to go back to how they used to be but she was scared that they never would.

Kyoko kept her eyes focused on the ground as Kuu watched her.

"Did they mention anything about reha-" he said and Kyoko nodded.

"They said that since they think he's only at stage three of recovery, he has to go to a facility where they will help him with the disabilities and they don't want him to go home right away. They told me that rushing him out of here might cause him to have a slower recovery period. They're going to give me some information on out-patient rehabilitation though. I think that he'd like to come home," Kyoko said as she wrapped an arm around herself.

"He was doing so much," Kyoko whispered as the tears sparkled in her eyes, "he was accomplishing so much. He's too young, too young for this to happen to." Kyoko tried to steady herself before she entered a panic attack, "I'll go and talk to the doctor."

…

…..

Kyoko looked at the documents in front of her and then looked up at the doctor. She sighed as she picked up a paper which was about an inpatient care facility for those who were dealing with traumatic brain injury. She looked through it and shivered as she put it down again. "You're asking me to decide for him?" she asked the doctor before sighing, "I don't want to send him anywhere."

"If this is about the cost of the facilities," the doctor said and Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

"This isn't about cost, Kuon has lots of money in our shared bank account and I'd be able to contribute to his treatment as well. We have enough to do this but I just…forgive me if I don't like the idea of sending my husband away from me even for thirty days. I'm a fast learner, I can give you people who can recommend me, give me a test to prove that I can care for him and I'll do it," she said as she looked over the paperwork.

She thought back to when she was seventeen and could imagine the nervous way in which she would have looked through the booklets and paper and how she wouldn't be sure what they said and she'd even get worried that she was overstepping her position when it came to Ren Tsuruga. Fortunately, she had matured and developed her own confidence, but she still wasn't happy about making decisions for her mentor turned husband.

"Mrs. Hizuri, I want to tell you once again that your husband would benefit more from going to one of these facilities and that taking him home right now might hurt his chances of full recovery. These facilities have highly trained staff members who -" the doctor saw Kyoko's pissed off look.

"Are you saying that I'm so unteachable that I wouldn't be able to care for my husband at our home? Do you really think that I'm not able to learn even the basics of how to care for him? The conversation that we had last night had him -" Kyoko was about to continue but the doctor looked at her firmly.

"and then when I tried to talk to him afterwards, he wasn't the same and was having a hard time comprehending what I was saying. Mrs. Hizuri, your husband is at level three," he pointed to the traumatic brain injury chart, "I can't force you to do anything but I can make a very firm recommendation that he be treated by professionals at one of these facilities.

Kyoko stood, she pushed all of the papers that he had given her into the pocket of a binder where she was keeping all of the information about Kuon's health. She tried not to look at anyone as she turned to the office door and walked out of it. Her heart kept pounding in her chest.

She had had a conversation with Kuon the previous night and still the doctors were telling her that he hadn't understood what was going on or at least he wasn't an active part to it and he needed more help than she could understand. She knew she wasn't making it up but she also knew that after that he hadn't seemed to be listening to her.

As she got outside, Kyoko noticed that she had missed some calls, one of them from the lawyer. She sighed and listened to the voice mail before taking deep inhales. She didn't know if Kuon would want to pursue this but right now she did.

They could try to get damages for loss of future earnings.

Maybe they wouldn't be able to get all of the money that Kuon would have earned from Grant, maybe they would never be _that_ lucky but they could use it to get some money but more along the lines of getting their own back on him. He had crippled her husband, he had stopped an Academy Award winner from pursuing jobs as an actor. She wasn't going to let him go with just a jail sentence.

Kyoko held the phone in her hand before she heard someone approaching her. She took a few breaths in and out to make sure that she could face the press in a way that wouldn't reflect badly on Kuon. The press didn't need to write or air a story about how she wanted to financially cripple Grant for all eternity.

She stopped and smiled weakly with a laugh, she had never been this happy to see him before.

"Hi," she said as she looked at him, "I didn't know that you were in America. It doesn't seem like the type of place you'd -" she froze as the blond man walked towards her and wrapped her up in his arms.

"[You don't need to speak American to me. Japanese is better,]" he said and Kyoko felt comfort being in his arms. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, letting herself imagine that the man in front of her that she had spent so long hating was actually Kuon. Out of relief, she smiled as she finally was able to feel support from him.

That was when the camera flashed.

Her husband had brain damage and wasn't able to move his legs and she was wrapped up in the arms of another man.

Journalism Gold.

 **End of Chapter Forty Nine**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **I promise you that Kuon will make a full recovery in this fanfic but it'll take time.**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Forty Eight**

Ashenvale: Because of his condition but Kyoko doesn't care about that, she wants him alive and to be with him

Kris XD: Yep, hopefully this chapter explains it 😉

Ktoll9: Yes, he is.

Loyalty counts: He can speak but it's early days in recovery so Kyoko will have to be head of the family right now

Paulagato: I know, super stressful and there are so many loose threads to this story now

Undertheskys: Because he was whacked with a lead pipe in the head


	50. Chapter 50 - In His Place

**AN:** This is not intended to show Kyoko as a bad person, rather it is to show her confusion and her latching onto something to keep her safe. My Skip Beat OTP is Kyoko and Kuon so please keep that in mind. Kyoko is just scared and that's what this chapter is supposed to show.

 **Chapter Fifty – In His Place**

Kyoko looked ahead of her at the paperwork. She still couldn't believe that things had turned out so badly that she would need to send Kuon away for inpatient rehabilitation. She wasn't sure what she was imagining, him just waking up out of a coma and being fine was something she had wished would have happened but if she had taken it seriously, she knew that it wouldn't have been like that. The doctors were right, with the amount of damaged sustained, he seemed like a completely different person.

Kyoko sighed before hearing a knock on the door, she put a hand to her forehead and walked out of the room, closing it behind her. She had asked Julie to take care of Isabella and that meant there was only one person who could have knocked on her door. She didn't want to let him into Kuon's private space.

She smiled weakly as she looked at her childhood friend, "[So,]" she asked with a raised eyebrow, "[You told me that you had nowhere to stay so I let you use the guestroom. It doesn't mean that I've completely forgiven you but you have helped me numerous times in the past.]"

Sho smiled at that and raised his eyebrow, "[You should come back to Japan with me. I bet you're sick of using English all the time.]"

"[I think using English in exchange for good company is a fair trade off. I'm also going to make a guess and say that your house isn't as impressive as this. I think that being a celebrated actor can earn you this type of living arrangement.]" Kyoko said as she looked at Sho. For some reason, she knew that she wanted him here with her. Maybe she had lost her mind or maybe it was because everything else felt so new.

She didn't pull away as he wrapped an arm around her waist. In fact, if she just imagined Kuon doing it, it felt good. This human intimacy felt good. She didn't know how to explain it, she wasn't cheating on her husband mentally but she had missed the way that Kuon had always held her. If nobody was around to see it then what difference would it make.

"[I've always loved you,]" Sho said and Kyoko pulled away, placed a hand on his chest and laughed.

"[That's not true and you know it,]" she said with a challenging look in her eyes. "[You told me that you thought that I was really plain and boring. I mean, I had to prove my worth to you. Corn always saw me as who I was and I always -]"

"[Have you realized that you're not at his side right now.]" Sho asked her and Kyoko bowed her head. She kept her hand on his chest, trying to tell herself that Kuon's chest was firmer and that his muscles were more defined or at least they had been. Who knew how much his body had atrophied during his coma. She pulled her hand away from his body and wrapped it around herself, trying to hold back any sobs that would indicate how weak she was. She looked down and then remembered the paperwork.

"[Does it matter?]" she asked as Sho tilted his head, trying to see what was wrong with her, "[The doctors have said that he might not even know that I'm there or not. Besides, I can't deal with that right now. Please allow me to be selfish and disrespectful for once in my life, please?]" she asked and Sho looked at her, narrowing his eyes as he took in her expression.

"[He's really that badly hurt?]" he asked and Kyoko nodded.

"[I think that I'm going to have to take care of him for a while. The guy who hit him seemed to know what he was doing, what places would hurt the most. We're all really lucky that he's alive so he must have some strength. I'm just scared to see him.]" Kyoko said as she knew how bad that sounded. She wanted to say that she loved her husband unconditionally but she was reminded each time she saw him how it had been her fault. He had been facing her and trying to make sure that she and their new unborn baby were okay when Grant had taken advantage of the situation.

Kyoko walked down the steps and stood in front of the entrance way, tears in her eyes. She didn't want to tell him how terrified she was of who Kuon had become. She didn't want to say how she wasn't brave enough to see him. She didn't want to admit the fear that she didn't know everything about him anymore and that she might never know anything about him.

As tears slipped down her cheeks, she felt Sho's arms around her again and pressed her face into his chest, her arms embracing him in the same way that she would embrace Kuon. She didn't even notice the door opening and the fact that she was in what might be misunderstood as a loving embrace right in front of her daughter and mother-in-law.

After a few moments, Kyoko heard someone cough and turned her head. She pushed Sho backwards as she saw the confused look on her mother's face and the upset look on Bella's. "Kyoko," Julie said in a firm and yet calm manner, "What are you doing? Who is this?" she asked having an idea who it was.

Isabella rushed upstairs with tears in her eyes as Julie stood there. She had heard from Kuu how bad Kuon's health was and she hated the idea that his wife was fooling around behind his back because she was unable and unwilling to take care of him because of how hurt he had been.

"Oh, this is my childhood friend. He was helping me cope with the loss of Kuo-" she began but Julie cut her off at the wrong time.

"My son isn't dead," she said with a fire burning in her eyes, "Please remember that he isn't dead."

…

…

Kyoko sighed as she looked at the paperwork again. She looked between the different options that the doctor had given her for locations and she thought about the ones that he had recommended. She looked at the moon that was above her as she sat outside taking in the swimming pool with the water that he loved. Until he was able to move his legs and swim, he probably wouldn't be able to use it. Until he was able to come home, he wouldn't be able to appreciate the nature that the yard offered.

Kyoko sighed as she read over how the doctor had described his illness and the state of the brain damage. The doctor had also told her that he didn't feel it was right for Kuon to be in a court proceeding right now because being around a lot of people might affect his healing negatively.

There was a lot to think about and she felt completely alone whilst she did so. This was his house. This was his life. She had spent six years away from him whilst he had planned out his future, well his and Isabella's futures, these were all decisions that he had made by himself and she didn't like that. She wanted to be in his world _with_ him, not to take charge of it with him gone.

Putting the papers to the side once again, Kyoko wrapped the blanket she had around her tighter and pulled her knees up to her chest. She didn't know what she was doing, she didn't know why she had allowed Shotaro to be here. Was she so weak that she now needed the presence of a man in the house to operate as a human being?

She felt so alone and distant and she didn't know _what_ to think anymore.

From above her, Bella watched her mother. She felt extremely conflicted. Her mother wasn't allowing her to see her daddy because she had said that her daddy needed more time to heal. Bella had been without her father for such a long time already that she felt lonely. She missed him so much and even if he was sick, he was her daddy. She also didn't like the idea that there was another man in the house, her daddy's house.

This was a place where her daddy had always made sure that she felt safe and welcome. This was where they cooked together, played together, read together. This was where her daddy had always told her that she'd be safe. She didn't want somebody else trying to take her daddy's place. Wicked stepfathers must exist in the world the same way that wicked stepmothers did.

Bella heard a noise coming from the direction of her daddy's bedroom. Her mommy had told her that only she and Kuon were allowed in that room and that was a special spot that this new man wouldn't be able to get to. Did that mean that her father was home? Did that mean that he had recovered and she could hug him?

Bella got out of bed and went in the direction of the room, even if he was sick she wanted to see him. She couldn't sleep not knowing how he was and not having one of his hugs, well, she had slept in the past couple of weeks but only because she had been hugging the pillow he had slept on.

Bella approached the room before seeing the person who was definitely not her daddy, she stood firm as she looked up at him, "You're not allowed in here," she said, "This is Daddy's bedroom. You're not allowed in here."

Sho looked at her and then looked around, "Well, where is he? Your Daddy isn't here," he said and Bella felt her heart hurt as he said this.

"Get out of Daddy's bedroom," she said as her anger mirrored her mother's from the past. "You're not allowed in here. This is Daddy's space," she said and Sho watched her.

"Well, who is going to stop me?" he said and Bella bit her bottom lip nervously.

…

…..

 _Bella hated when she had nightmares. They were always scary and they made her feel weird, the room seemed a lot darker and colder whenever she woke up after having a nightmare. There was only one person who made her feel better about everything. She nervously walked down the hall and stopped at her dad's bedroom. She opened the door slowly and then went over to the bed where he had fallen asleep._

 _She climbed in on the other side and saw him open his eyes, "Bella?" he asked confused. He sat up immediately and pulled her into his lap, gazing down at her with those emerald eyes. "Hi, princess," he said as he put a hand on her back. Kuon paused as Bella turned her head into his chest and sobbed painfully. "Oh, princess, what is it?" he asked as he held her as close as he could, "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" he asked and Bella nodded whilst shaking._

 _Kuon sighed as he gently smoothed down her hair. He picked up a blanket and wrapped it around the two of them. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked despite being exhausted himself. Bella shook her head and so Kuon rocked her gently from side to side like he had done when she was a baby._

" _Okay, Daddy's here. Why don't we both sleep in here tonight and Daddy will protect you," he said and Isabella nodded. She always felt very safe and protected when she was with her daddy._

 **End of Chapter Fifty**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you for reviewing Chapter Forty Nine**

Ashenvale: Hmm, I wonder if I sent you to sleep 😉 you'll hopefully understand this chapter

Erza: Definitely and yeah, torture is one word I'd use

Kris XD: Definitely Sho and there may be scandals and misunderstandings ahead

Loyalty counts: Well, you have good predictive skills

Undertheskys: Yes, it is Sho who is going to have more than two chapters


	51. Chapter 51 - Pajamas

**AN:** Another painful chapter but don't worry, Kyoko will come to her senses in the next chapter. I hope I'm not putting you guys through too much sadness :/

 **Chapter Fifty One - Pajamas**

Isabella had continued to watch Sho for two full days. She wasn't sure why he was here but she didn't like the way that her mother would hug him and bury her face in his chest and talk about how things used to be. Isabella shivered, maybe it was true, maybe things used to be better but that was because her daddy was here. Bella wasn't sure why she wasn't allowed to see her father _after_ he had woken up since she had been allowed to visit him when he was in a coma.

Bella froze as she came into the dining room for dinner and her body felt as if all of the blood had been drained from it. This Sho Fuwa was _not_ her daddy but he was wearing her daddy's pajamas and his special bath robe whilst his hair was wet. Those were _Daddy's_ things. Why was this strange man allowed to touch _Daddy's_ things.

Isabella paused as she saw her mother come out with a plate of pancakes and she glared at her as if Kyoko had betrayed her. Bella watched her put the plate on the table and saw this Sho guy grab some whilst she watched suspiciously.

"[You look good in them,]" Kyoko said before turning to Bella, "[Honey, is anything -]"

"English," Bella said firmly as she looked at the ground and felt as if she wanted it to swallow her up. "English, Daddy always speaks in English to me. Sometimes he'll speak Japanese to Grandfather and Russian to Grandmother but he speaks English," she said with her fists at her side. She was sick of hearing Japanese. She knew that her father was a quarter Japanese and she was more than half Japanese but she had been raised in America with English as her first language.

Bella was one-quarter American, one-eighth Russian, and five-eighths Japanese but she felt American because that's what her daddy was mostly. She closed her eyes as she started to cry, flinching away as Kyoko approached her.

…

…..

" _How about we put chocolate chips in the pancakes today, Bella?" Kuon asked with a grin as he helped the six year old stir the batter. He held up a package of milk chocolate chips and saw Bella shake her head. "Why not, I know that you love them," he grinned to her._

" _Daddy only eats chocolate in moder-moder-ation," Bella sounded out the word and saw her Daddy nod with a proud smile on his face as she said that. She looked at him and stopped stirring for a moment. "I'll put them on afterwards."_

" _But it's better if you cook with them," Kuon said as he kissed the top of her head, "That way they get put into the mix and they melt when you put them in the pan," he smiled and Bella looked at him before humming. She tilted her head to the side._

" _Daddy, will you eat them with chocolate chips?" she asked, looking directly into Kuon's eyes._

 _Kuon nodded, "If you make them, Bella, I would eat anything," he grinned to her._

 _Bella hummed before laughing, "You wouldn't eat Playdoh," she said and Kuon looked at her before saying something that Bella wasn't expecting him to say._

" _I've eaten Playdoh before," he told her and Bella stared at him. She knew that her father wasn't really as in love with food as her grandfather. He always gave himself a smaller plate then the other grownups. Sometimes Bella wondered if she ate a bigger portion than her dad. Why would he have eaten something that wasn't supposed to be eaten?_

" _Why?" she asked and Kuon grinned to her, kissing the top of her head._

" _Because you made it for me and were expecting me to take a bite, my dad was surprised too but taking that small bite and swallowing it made you so happy," he said, "what kind of father would I be if I didn't make my three-year-old daughter happy?"_

 _Bella smiled before putting the chocolate chips in._

….

….

"Bella," Kyoko said as she approached her daughter, seeing her freeze up with wide eyes as she backed away very upset. She looked at the little girl. "Sho ran out of clothes," she said and Bella stared at her before looking at the floor. "I'm sure your dad wouldn't -"

"You haven't been to visit him," Bella told her as she moved quickly so Kyoko wouldn't touch her. "You haven't gone to see him. You went three days ago but you haven't seen him. Daddy is lonely. He tries hard to be happy. Why can't I see him?" she asked as the tears ran down her cheeks. "Daddy would take me to see you."

"I'm not sure if your father would even know if we were -" Kyoko said and Bella shook her head.

"He knows. Even if Daddy was asleep like Princess Aurora, he knows. Daddy locks his sadness in his heart. I want to see him, I want to see Daddy," Bella said as the tears clouded her eyes and she started shaking, kneeling onto the ground as if she were in pain and Kyoko had flashbacks to her own mother and how she had felt all alone apart from Sho and his family and her fairy prince.

"Bella, I don't want you to get hurt," Kyoko said, "You're so young."

Bella shook her head, "Why would seeing Daddy hurt?" she asked and Kyoko looked at her with a pained expression not knowing how to answer that.

"Your father is -" Kyoko said before hearing a voice behind her.

"[Your dad's a retard now,]" Sho said and Bella froze, glaring up with eyes that were all too familiar to Kyoko. She had had that same dark expression on her face when she was a teenager, "[He's stupid. You're probably smarter than him.]"

Kyoko opened her mouth to say something as she caught herself glaring at Sho before looking down, "[He's no-]"

"[How dare you!?]" Bella yelled in Japanese as she surprised the two of them, "[Daddy is Daddy. He tries his best to make us happy. He cooks and cleans and puts me to bed. He takes me to school. He plays with me. He helps me when I'm sad or can't do my homework. Daddy is kind and loyal and loving. Daddy is my most important person.]" she said all of this in Japanese. "[Stop wearing Daddy's clothes. Stop using Daddy's things. Stop being in Daddy's house!]" she yelled before running off to her bedroom.

She didn't care that she wasn't getting any pancakes, all she could see was her Daddy's sad face and imagine her Daddy crying. It wasn't fair. Why wasn't she allowed to see him? Why would it hurt her so much for her to see him? Daddy was Daddy no matter what. As long as he loved her did anything else matter?

….…

….

"Darling," Julie said as she let her fingers brush through Kuon's hair on the right side of his body, "Please just eat a little. The doctor said that your condition will improve faster if you eat a little," she said as she saw Kuon's hand shake next to the spoon. He had improved slightly since the day after he first woke up but he still had a lot of time where he had to recover.

Julie didn't want to tell him about the guy who had taken over his place in the house. He didn't need to know about him, not seeing Kyoko and not seeing Isabella was hurting him enough and with his limited mobility and the trouble that he was enduring because of the head injury, Julie knew that he felt as if they had cast him off and abandoned him.

Kuu had said that it was fear. The fear of taking responsibility for the attack. The fear of not knowing what to do and the only reason why she was so fearful was because of how much she loved him. Julie wasn't so sure. If Kuu was in this situation, she would never leave his bedside even if the doctors had to physically remove her.

"M-Mmo-mm," Kuon said shakily and Julie put her hand on her son's shoulder as she attempted to show her support, "I cc-can't," he said and Julie froze. She saw him withdraw in on himself again with a pained expression. She didn't want to even imagine the self-hate that he had at this time.

"Just a little, Darling?" Julie pleaded as she put a hand to his cheek, wanting to take care of him. "For me, two bites," she held up two fingers as she attempted to make a compromise with him. She watched him reach for the spoon again before he started shaking and Julie took the tray away. She didn't want to see him so upset, the doctors had told her that if he felt upset or frustrated or even angry, she should try to take away whatever was triggering that reaction.

She stood up but only so that she could wrap her arms around her son. He didn't mean to be like this. He hadn't wanted to suffer such a deliberate and painful whack to his head. He could have very easily died but instead he had fought and Julie knew that he had fought so much to be with Kyoko and Isabella. The family that had left him behind though Julie didn't blame Bella for it.

"Come on, darling," she said as she swung his left arm over her shoulder, "Let's get you back into the bed. You most likely need some rest and I'll stay until you're fast asleep," she told him. He nodded slowly and she helped him from the wheelchair and back into the bed where she smoothed his hair down for him again.

"Your father's coming this afternoon. He's got some duties he has to do but I know that he's going to come visit late this afternoon or early evening," she tried to tell him. "That'll be nice for the two of you," she said as she tucked the blanked around him. She hated how unmotivated he had become, how much pain he was going through. She wanted to do her best for him but she was only his mother, she wasn't his wife or daughter.

As much as she wanted to take care of her baby boy, this wasn't supposed to be her role. This was supposed to be what his wife was doing, the mother of his daughter. She was supposed to be the one who was trying to make him feel loved, trying to take care of him.

"Mmomm," Kuon asked again as he reached for her and Julie took his hand in both of hers. "I le-le-tt th-e-emm dd-ow-nn" he struggled to speak and Julie shook her head, still holding tightly to his hand.

"Sssh, my love, no you didn't," she tried to reassure him. She was proud of his progress already. She knew that it was hard for his brain to get out these short sentences but he was trying. Maybe if Kyoko was here with him then he would have improved more than he had. "I'm sure they'll come and see you soon."

Kuon gave a doubtful look before closing his eyes. It was a thought that pained him but he kept thinking that if he slept, he'd wake up and she'd be here beside him.

Julie watched him sleep and when she knew that he was fast asleep, she turned to leave him, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. She took a few steps out of the room, her heart hurting from seeing him like this. At that point she was approached by a doctor.

"Mrs. Hizuri?" he asked and Julie nodded, "I wanted to update you on Kuon's condition. He's actually shown a lot more improvement than we thought when he first woke up so we no longer find an in-patient treatment necessary but we would like to suggest an out-patient treatment plan," he said and Julie smiled at that.

"So, my husband and I can take care of him?" she asked feeling a lot of relief. She had wanted him to be with people who were familiar to him, who he loved and who loved him back.

"That," the doctor nodded, "or even his own home."

Julie froze and looked down, tears in her own eyes, she batted them away and then looked at the doctor sadly, "I'm not sure if he's wanted at his own home anymore," she said honestly hoping that Kuon hadn't somehow heard that.

 **End of Chapter Fifty One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Fifty**

Kris XD: I think I agree with the more familial relationship but I feel more like cousins than siblings.

Loyalty counts: They are both in pain but I don't think Kyoko realizes how deep Bella's is

Paulagato: Definitely, it's Bella and Kuon who need the most support right now


	52. Chapter 52 - Realization

**AN:** I do promise that I am attempting to update all my fics but I have stricter instructors in school this semester and because I work with lots of people who only work two or three days, I've been asked to do 30 hours at work so there's a lot stealing my time away. I hope to get my time in line so that I can start to update more fics for you guys so thanks for your patience 😊

 **Chapter Fifty Two – Realization**

Kuu was trying his best not to glare or show any anger towards his daughter-in-law. He had the hope that she would snap out of it and consider what she was doing and go and see Kuon at the hospital. Kuon loved her. He had always considered that love, their marriage as special and he could see the pain each time it was him in the hospital room instead of Kyoko.

Kuu saw that man, that stupid singer, wearing a shirt and jeans that he _knew_ belonged to his son and he took heavy breaths to calm himself down as he faced Kyoko. "What the hell are you doing?" he finally asked her and Kyoko paused. Not hearing a reply, Kuu raised his voice a little louder, "[What the hell are you doing?]" he asked her, changing it to Japanese as the anger appeared in his eyes.

"I'm…" Kyoko said awkwardly, "I'm sorry. I'm just at home and…"

"Well you know who isn't at home?" Kuu asked as he felt the pain in his heart dig in deeper. Why should he care how this woman would see him? His son was suffering and she was playing make believe with a man who was so pathetic that he didn't mind taking the place of somebody else.

"Fa—" Kyoko began before seeing that by the reaction in his eyes she should approach this another way, "Kuu-sama, what do you mean? Why are you insulting -"

"Do you love him?" Kuu asked and Kyoko paled, shivering a little as she wrapped an arm around herself. "Because everything is telling me that you love him."

"I love Kuon," Kyoko whispered and Kuu raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't talking about Kuon," Kuu said before pointing at Sho, "That is not Kuon. I don't give a damn if your mind is so twisted that dressing him up in Kuon's clothes, letting him stay in Kuon's house, holding onto him as if he were Kuon makes you feel better. That is not Kuon and I am appalled by the way you're _actually_ treating Kuon."

Kyoko felt the tears in her eyes, "He's not wearing Kuo-" she looked at Kuu and then turned around to see Sho actually wearing Kuon's clothes. She shivered, how had she not noticed this? Had she been so caught up in her own imagination that she hadn't paid attention to this very creepy fact. "[Sho,]" she said as she looked at him with the pieces of what she was doing starting to click together in her head, "[Why are you wearing Kuon's clothes?]" she asked and Sho looked at her.

"[You said that I could,]" he said and Kyoko blinked. Why would she say that? Why would she ever say that a person that Kuon greatly disliked could use his things, could even dress in his clothes. This was creepy. "[Please take them off and put on your own clothes,]" she said as Sho looked at her in shock.

"[You think that retard is co-]" Sho began but Kyoko felt the tears start to trickle down her cheeks and she slapped him as hard as she could. Sho stared at her again as if she were crazy. "[What the hell!?]" he yelled out and Kyoko looked at her hand.

"[Don't call him that. He's injured but he's not stupid. He's not…]" Kyoko took a step back as she put a hand over her cheek and felt the waves of guilt flow through her as she realized that she hadn't been present in mind over the past few days. She hadn't been able to accept what was happening so she had personally tried to replace him. She felt cold chills through her body, how long had it been since she had last seen her husband? Was he still waiting on her? Did he think she hated him because of his new disabilities.

"[So you actually are going to crawl back to that cripple? That loser? That braindead asshole?]" Sho said as Kyoko felt the pain start to create a rip in her own heart.

Kuu approached him with his own anger which Kyoko had to say looked like a copy of Ren's. He punched Sho in the face before throwing him onto the ground and kicking him in the groin putting Sho in a lot of pain as he was unable to get up.

"[Don't you _DARE_ talk about my son in that way!]" he said as all of his protective anger was finally shown. "[My son is ten times the man that you are. How dare you attack him! On behalf of my son, change into your own damn clothes and get the fu** out of this house!]"

"Kuu-sama?" Kyoko asked and Kuu looked at her, the anger only dying down a little bit.

"I'm going to go see my son. I advise that you figure out what's important to you and make the decision whether to see him or not," Kuu said before raising an eyebrow, "but if you don't see him, consider this you giving up on your marriage. Now, where's Bella, I want to take her to see her dad."

"Are you sure that that won't hurt her?" Kyoko asked and Kuu nodded.

"I'm positive it won't," he said before seeing Bella running down the stairs and grabbing to her grandfather's leg.

"Are we really going to see Daddy?" she asked hopefully and Kuu nodded as Bella went to get her shoes, smiling a little as she saw the pain that Sho was going through. She ran over to her grandfather without even looking at her mother as her grandfather pulled out her jacket for her. "Let's go," she grinned before they walked out of the house.

….

….

Isabella nervously went to the room where she knew that her daddy was. She was excited to see him but she had already been made aware that he was hurt and it was worse than a regular cold. She really hoped not to upset him, that was the worst thing that she could think of. Even if all she could do was see him and watch him, she wanted to do it. She was scared of thinking he could leave her.

Kuu entered the room with a hand on Isabella's shoulder, "Kuon," he said as Kuon turned to look at him from where he was on the bed. "I brought someone to see you," he said as Kuon reached out his left hand to her.

"H-h-hhi, baby," he whispered before Isabella ran up to him and stood in front of him with tears in her eyes. Kuon softly placed his hand on her cheek as he looked at her concerned, "Iiiss ss-o—"

"Nothing's wrong, Daddy" Isabella said as she tried to rub away her tears with her sleeve. "I'm so happy to see you," she said before Kuon gently moved her arm away from her eyes and smiled at her.

Kuon managed to get himself into a sitting position very slowly. He patted the bed and Isabella climbed up to him, wrapping her arms around him but trying not to hurt him. Kuon put a hand on her head, letting his thumb run through his hair as he mouthed a thank you to his father who sat down and watched Kuon taking care of his daughter.

"Bella, be gentle okay," Kuu couldn't help but say as he looked at the bruising around his son's left eye. "Are you having trouble with vision?" he asked and Kuon looked at him blankly for a moment before looking down as if he were having trouble figuring out how to answer the question. Kuu froze, maybe the word vision was too complex, the doctors had told them to use short and simple sentences.

"Kuon, don't pu-" Kuu said quickly before seeing his son shake his head.

"I ss-till ha-h-" he said before stopping and gestured to his eyes, "Ggl-asses," he said and Kuu nodded. He knew how much his son was trying and the way he was holding Isabella as she sobbed into his chest showed what his priorities were.

"Why is Daddy not talking a lot?" Isabella asked her father as Kuon looked down guiltily.

Noticing his reluctance, Kuu leaned forward. "Bella, Daddy got hit in the head so it's a little harder for him to form sentences and choose which words he'll use. It's like when you have a headache and you don't want to speak or when you have a headache and it's harder for you to use your Japanese," he attempted to explain and Bella thought about that before nodding.

"Okay, Daddy," she said before jumping off the bed and looked around. "You don't have to speak. I'll speak to you," she said before finding a children's nature magazine with a picture of a hippo on the front. "I'll read to you," she grinned as Kuon watched her lovingly. His daughter was such an inspiration, so much like her mother.

Bella climbed back on the bed and opened the magazine to the page on the hippos, not noticing her dad's fear as he looked at the words which he was having trouble reading. Kuu noticed this and opened his mouth but Kuon shook his head to his dad and Kuu understood that he didn't want Bella to know. Kuu didn't want to ruin the time between them.

"Don't the hippos look friendly?" Bella asked as she looked up at her dad who nodded.

Kuon pointed to a picture that had a hippo in the water, "Tha-tt o-one i-iss" he winced in pain but fortunately Bella was concentrating on the picture he was pointing to, "Ha-having ff-unn."

"Yeah," Bella nodded, "Like when I do my swim class," she said before concentrating on the words and Kuon held her close. Fortunately Bella was under the impression that Kuon didn't want to read because he didn't want to speak and so she read the whole article on the hippos to her father as Kuu watched the two of them bond. He really had to wonder if he was as good a father as his son was.

…

…

Bella had fallen asleep at her dad's side and Kuon had an arm wrapped around her as they lay together. He watched his father as Kuu stood up and went over to wake Bella up, before he did so, he smiled at his son. "You did really well today," he told his son hoping to reassure him. He knew that Kuon wasn't acting like he was before the accident but he still had the fight and perseverance that he had before.

Kuon opened his mouth but the pain on his face showed that he had overworked himself and all for Bella's benefit.

"It's okay," Kuu told him as he put a hand on his son's shoulder, "You worked really hard to bond with her. Just relax, don't over exhaust yourself. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Kuon looked at Bella before putting a hand on her shoulder and patted her a little before she woke up. She looked around before smiling at her dad.

"Bella," Kuu said as he saw the little girl sit up sleepily, "It's time to go home," he said before seeing Bella's pained look, "I promise that we will both come back tomorrow. It was fun to see your dad wasn't it?" he asked and Bella nodded.

"Have a good sleep, Daddy," Bella said as she got to the floor and kissed her dad's cheek. "I'll bring a new book tomorrow," she told him.

As they were leaving, Bella saw somebody who she really didn't want to see but because of her love for her father didn't say anything, she just held to her grandfather's hand. Her grandfather had a firm look at the woman before him as she stood nervously looking at her husband.

"Hi, sweetheart," she said and Kuu managed to calm his expression before seeing the painful joy and happiness on his son's face. He really deserved more than this.

 **End of Chapter Fifty Two**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Fifty One**

Ashenvale: I guess you never watched Glee because they waaay over used cheating 😉 I hope that things work out for them but Kyoko should never have acted that way

Kris XD: She definitely should have kicked him out but I think Kuu reacted _too_ much

Ktoll9: Yes, but she's going to think that of herself too

Loyalty Counts: So many predictions, hope you weren't disappointed 😊

Paulagato: Yep, Kyoko has been acting without thinking and she's going to feel very guilty next chapter

Undertheskys: Well Kyoko is very disappointed in herself


	53. Chapter 53 - For Daddy

**AN:** I hope you like this chapter and I really hope that I can redeem Kyoko in the next couple of chapters. My thoughts are that this is still new for her, being six years from the time she fell into the lake, she's in a new country and her child is much older than before she died. Now the one place of strength is gone from her and because of her so she's looking for comfort in the familiar whilst trying to hold onto living in this new life without her 'guide'.

 **Chapter Fifty Three – For Daddy**

Kuu hesitated in the doorway, he didn't know how he felt about this but he did see how happy his son looked, he did _want_ him that happy, he just wished he felt more secure. Bella looked up at her mother before looking down. Her daddy would get hurt if he learned about that Sho guy and she really didn't want for him to hurt.

Kyoko took a nervous look at Kuu again but came over to Kuon, tears starting to roll down her cheeks which greatly alerted Kuon and he pushed himself up to a seated position, his face showing his pain and concern. He didn't know why she looked upset but he didn't like it.

"Oh, sweetheart," Kyoko said as she dropped down into a bow and then felt her knees shake as she did a dogeza, "I am _sooooo_ sorry," she apologized to him and Kuon looked her over seeming very concerned about her actions. He saw Kuu slip off and Kuon tried to reach for her.

"Pppr-ri-ncess," he struggled to speak and Kyoko looked up at him. He was reaching out a hand to her and Kyoko's heart pinched in her chest. He didn't know? He didn't know how horrible she had been? Kyoko took his hand and sat on the chair next to him. She didn't deserve him or his kindness.

"I am so sorry that I left you alone," Kyoko apologized as she tried to fight against the tears. She saw the pain in Kuon's eyes and wondered whether that was an emotional pain or just physical. He was smiling to her but maybe he was just relieved to see her, maybe it didn't mean that he wasn't angry with her.

"It-tts okk-ay" his voice shook and he put a hand to his head. He had already spent time with Isabella and that had worn him out but he didn't want to show any pain or discomfort to Kyoko, he didn't want to see her leave him again.

"My sweet Corn," Kyoko said as she tried to brush away her tears. "I am so sorry. You must have thought, you must have thought that I hated you or that I was affected by your disabilities," she seemed to choke on her words as she said them, "Nno," she said as she saw the sadness on his face and she wrapped an arm around herself. "I've been so stupid and selfish. I was scared. I felt guilty about seeing you like that. It was my fault. After all that you've done for me, after all of the sacrifices, I caused you to make the biggest one…" she looked at the floor as Kuon attempted to shift towards her but without the use of his legs it was harder than he thought.

He held her hand in his and brought it to his lips, his eyes shining in that puppy dog way that always was able to make her heart melt. She felt so guilty about all of this. In her mind she could imagine what he was thinking of her. She could feel that he felt lost, unwanted, a parasite. Kyoko wrapped her arms around her again. "I…I can't…I can't forgive myself," she sobbed and Kuon looked down.

"Iit'ts okay," he struggled and Kyoko could sense that he was having trouble talking. It still haunted her how the once famous Ren Tsuruga was in this state. Ren could do everything without fail. He could learn the piano at record time, he could do elaborate stunts in a car, he could teach her how to walk as a _female_ model. To see him struggling like this broke her heart.

She had thought that staying away from him was the best thing for him, at this point she felt ashamed of herself that that idea had crossed her mind. She would have been angry at him if he had left her in this condition and she would have been hurt and felt like when she was tossed aside by Sho. Why was he so kind to her?

"You sound as if you've made so much progress, sweetheart," Kyoko said as she watched him and attempted to stop the tears from clouding her vision. She looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry, maybe if I had been here then it would have been easier on you. I was scared and I hate myself that I was so scared," she said and Kuon shook his head.

This man loved her and she had nearly lost that love because of her own stupidity. She didn't want to forgive herself for doing that. To be loved by someone like Kuon didn't happen to everyone and because of the guilt she had and the shame that she had been the one who had made Grant interested in her, supported and even encouraged the fight, and that she had distracted Kuon causing the injuries. She didn't feel worthy of his love.

"I cc-ann cc-o—" Kuon started before his face twisted showing the hurt and extra energy and effort that talking was causing him.

"What is it sweetheart?" Kyoko asked and Kuon lifted a finger, his eyes showing the strain that having this conversation was causing him. Kyoko looked at him, anxious to hear what he had to say.

"—mee hh-omme" Kuon finished and Kyoko looked at him in shock.

"You can come home?" she asked as she felt her body shiver. She felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she struggled between happiness and pain. She didn't want him to know what had happened with her and Sho, she didn't want him to know how wretched and weak she was. Was it okay not to tell him? She wanted him home with her, she wanted to take care of him but was lying to him the right thing to do?

She looked at him, fear of losing him reflected in her expression. "I let Sho stay with me and Isabella for a few days," she said and stared at the floor as if she had cheated on him. Kuon could tell that she was hiding something and he looked confused, his eyes showing his pain and the fact that he didn't know what she was saying.

"Hhe-e's iin….Amm-er-kka?" the blond asked and Kyoko nodded her head.

"I think that your injuries were reported on Japanese television," she said as Kuon's body stiffened, "They still love you over there. I think that he came because he was concerned about me."

"Aass-hhole," Kuon whispered and Kyoko felt shocked as she saw a couple of tears roll down his face. She hadn't seen him crying like this before. The pain was too much but she had to fight through it. She had to tell him how much she loved him and wait for the consequences.

"I know," Kyoko nodded sadly, "I know how much you hate him,"

Kuon looked down, was he being childish by saying that. He really disliked Sho but he had been a childhood friend to Kyoko. He had been her love interest but Kuon didn't want to think that Kyoko could still be attracted to him because of all the asshole things that he had done to her. Kuon sighed as he looked down.

"Iitt's o-kkay," he said and Kyoko looked at him.

Did he not understand how close she and Sho had been to one another? Did he trust her enough to think that nothing had happened or was he so disgusted by himself that he felt that it was okay to be cheated on. No, she didn't want to think that _that_ was the case. Running her fingers through her long black hair again, Kyoko stared down. She had failed him. She shouldn't even be calling him his wife, it was her goal to help him, support him and he had needed support now more than ever.

"I wwa-ntt sso—" Kuon began but then stopped. Kyoko leaned in closer as she looked at him.

"What is it, my sweet prince?" she asked him as he just stared in front of him. She hated seeing the pain when he tried to choose his words. She hated thinking that he was enduring all of this pain for her benefit. She sighed and reached out to hold his hand. "Kuon, if there's anything that I can do then I -"

"Jja-ppan," he told her and Kyoko looked at him.

"It's okay, I think the people in Japan understand why you aren't going to be going on the trip. I think they'd still love to see you but your health has to come first. You're amazing you know," she said as she kissed his hand, "Doctors told me that you were going to die but you're here, your improving so much each day. You're so strong that you managed to get them to say you didn't need to kept in the hospital."

Kuon shook his head and Kyoko paused, she didn't know what he was trying to say if that wasn't it. She tilted her head to the side, was he trying to send her back to Japan by herself? Was he attempting to get rid of her? She opened her mouth to say something but Kuon just turned to her with a soft smile.

"I wwan't…to ll-ivve inn J—" he started but had to stop because of the strain it was putting on him.

Kyoko blinked, "You want to live in Japan?" she asked.

She didn't want to argue with him but he had his family here, he had his friends here, he had set up a life here. He wanted to leave all of that now? When he needed the loving support from those close to him the most? She didn't know what to say to him.

…

…

Bella watched her grandfather as he drove the two of them home, she hummed to herself before turning her attention to outside the window where she could watch the city of Los Angeles. She sighed, "I think that Mommy loves Daddy but why has she been acting so confused?" Bella asked her grandfather.

Kuu took a deep breath in, "Because she's nervous about how to best take care of Daddy." Kuu hoped that that was right, he didn't want to think that Kyoko was playing games with him or using him for any other reason. That wasn't the woman that he had called his son but then he hadn't thought that she wouldn't rush to be by Kuon's side, he definitely hadn't thought that she would keep such a jerk in their house.

"Grandfather," Bella said as she looked at the different shops and restaurants but without the excitement and wonder that she usually had. "Is Daddy going to get better?" she asked and Kuu smiled.

"Your father is an amazing person and maybe I'm a little bit biased because I'm _his_ father but yes, I think that your dad is going to get better. He's so strong. I mean, look at what he's already accomplished. He's talking to you and a few days ago he was talking much less," Kuu said before stopping at the light. "Why don't you think of some things to do to make him feel better?"

"Like cooking and drawing?" Bella hummed, "And doing my best at soccer."

"Yes, things like that," Kuu said before laughing, "things like that exactly."

"Is his brain going to get better?" Bella asked and Kuu gave a soft exhale before nodding.

"I believe so. Your father has done things that most people can't. He's impressed me so much by how hard he works and how much he endures tough things. I think that your dad is going to get better but it's going to take some time. Do you think you could help with that?" Kuu asked again and Bella nodded.

"I can do that," she said, "for Daddy."

 **End of Chapter Fifty Three**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Chapter Fifty Two**

Crazy4Animation: Hopefully my author note explained some of this. I don't know about ending but it's going to get much happier as Kuon gets better and they expect their baby. After all Kuon might have fairy ancestors 😉

Erza: Yes but her behavior is going to change as she is constantly reminded of her love for her husband

KrisXD: I know, he is super especially his super love for his little boy

Ktoll9: Definitely it would be hard to really understand her but Kuon loves her so much that _he_ understands her

Loyalty counts: Hmm, guess you'll have to read to find out 😉

Paulagato: Well she's very hurt herself but hopefully this chapter showed her remorse

Undertheskys: She's definitely going to try


	54. Chapter 54 - Hope for the Future

**AN:** So I have been writing other fics but am planning on releasing new chapters every Sunday of those. Hopefully I can write a lot but I need to get caught up with work and school 😊 Hope you enjoy this chapter since it shows more classic Kyoko.

 **Chapter Fifty Four – Hope for the Future**

As Kuu brought Isabella back home after school the previous day, the two of them came up to the house and heard a lot of construction work being done including several boxes outside. This was strange. Isabella reached for her grandfather's hand as they entered the house and saw that some furniture had been moved around and one of the room on the ground level had a bed in it with a chair and dresser as well as a lot of space for somebody to move around in it. There was more space for a wheelchair all around the house in fact and there were some temporary ramps in some of the more difficult parts to maneuver a chair.

Kuu looked out into the living room and saw Kyoko following a blueprint. She had a sweatband around her forehead and looked much more like the Kyoko that Kuu had known. He approached her and when she found them to be watching her, she stood.

"Hi, welcome home," she said as she smiled to Bella before turning to Kuu, "How are you, Kuu-sama?" she asked as Kuu looked around at all the new equipment like a shower chair and different metal apparatus that someone who couldn't use their legs would use. Along the wall were some large and neutral rugs that had a backing to them that wasn't going to slip on the tiles or wood paneling.

"What is all of this?" Kuu asked as he saw a pile of books about helping someone who had a traumatic brain injury. "Did you -"

"I made a second bedroom for Kuon because they say that he might not want to go upstairs or he might feel too exhausted so it's right by the front door and the living room and the kitchen in case there are times when he just wants to rest. I've made some changes in our living room and the bathroom and I'm going to do some work on the kitchen so that he feels confident being in those rooms."

Kyoko picked up a hammer and held it to cheek as she continued to talk about all of the home modifications that she had done so that she could do her best to take care of Kuon. "I bought the rugs to put down so that the wheelchair won't slip. I know that he's got control of things but I don't want him to accidentally get hurt but I am worried about what he said about Japan," she admitted and Kuu looked at her curiously.

"What he said about -" he asked and Kyoko nodded.

"When I was there last night and when I visited him this morning he said that he wanted to go back to Japan. I can tell that he really meant it and he's told me before that he feels much more comfortable when he's in Japan than America, I know that he wants to go back but is it best for him?" Kyoko asked and Kuu froze.

"He wants to go to Japan right now?" he asked. For years Kuon had been saying how he wanted Isabella to grow up with her grandparents and he had been performing magnificently at work. When he was a small boy he hadn't wanted to go to Japan at all, he had been completely disinterested in even the thought of going. He wanted to go back now?

"I don't want to just say that we can't go," Kyoko said as she tried to think through the problem, "It's just that I'm worried about how he'd heal if we went. His therapists are over here, you and Julie are over here, and there are some great places that specialize in helping brain injury but I know that he might feel threatened and overwhelmed being here as well."

Kuu sighed, "There are good places in Japan as well," he told her and Kyoko nodded. "I mean, you're still a Japanese citizen so the two of you can go and I know that boss would do everything that he can to help but is this really what he wants."

Kyoko nodded, "He says that he'd feel less pressured, that there's less people who he'd have to see in terms of the media and that it wouldn't be like Hollywood. Apparently he's always thought that it was slower and calmer in Japan and that the main reason he moved here was so that he could be with you and Julie and Isabella."

Kyoko and Kuu looked up at the little girl that they had ignored and yet had listened to the whole conversation.

"Bella, I…" Kyoko struggled. She knew that Bella had her own friends here and her own life and Kuon wouldn't have even brought it up if it wasn't important to him. Kyoko knew that even with the limited functioning he was going through, Kuon wouldn't do anything to harm Bella intentionally. "I…how do you feel about that?" she asked nervously and Bella looked at her.

"I want to ask Daddy, if Daddy thinks it's best then I'll do it," she said before wrapping her arms around herself, "I'd miss Grandma and Grandpa," she said as she attempted to stop her sobs.

Kuu hummed before looking at the two of them, "Give us a month and Lory and I will think of a way for the five of us to move over there," he said and Kyoko's eyes widened.

"Kuu-sama," she said quickly, "Please don't do that. I don't want to inconvenience you. You and Julie have your lives here and…and it would be wrong for -"

"If this is what Kuon thinks is best for him, this is what we'll do. He rarely asks for anything and I don't want to not be with my son or my granddaughter," Kuu told her, "besides, with the way that they treat actors of my age, I think I'd get more interesting roles if I _did_ move to Japan."

Kyoko smiled as she tried to dab away at the tears in her eyes, "One month," she said in agreement. "Okay, let's get started on this."

…

…

 _Kuon walked into the house that he had just bought. It had cost him so much money so he was glad that he had had a successful Hollywood career already, not to mention Ren Tsuruga's wealth. He knew that this was extravagant but maybe he was an extravagant guy. Considering the presents that he had bought Kyoko when she was alive, well, that more than proved it. He couldn't wait to get Bella's help in decorating her new room._

 _The little girl was looking around the house completely stunned and she grabbed to her daddy's hand. "Is this a palace?" she asked innocently and Kuon chuckled. He crouched down beside her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear._

" _Not quite, but it is pretty big isn't it," he told the little girl. "I hope that we have a lot of fun memories in this place," he kissed the top of her head as he crouched down opposite her and found Bella to rush into his arms, wanting a hug which Kuon immediately gave to her of course.._

" _It's pretty," she said and Kuon nodded._

" _I think your mother would like it too," he said and Bella looked at him. She had gotten used to the way that her father spoke as if her mother was coming back to them. She had learned that it was his way of coping although Bella didn't know if the word coping was accurate. In her young mind, whenever she asked for things and didn't get them right away she was sad. Was her daddy sad about asking for her mother and never getting her. He seemed to like the house._

" _I hope Daddy smiles," she grinned to him and Kuon looked at his daughter with so much love in his eyes._

" _I hope we both do," he told the little girl._

…

…

Kyoko smiled as she sat on Kuon's bed as he looked up at her. She looked down at one of the books that she had bought about how to help a loved one who had sustained a traumatic brain injury, however she had bought a book cover in case Kuon thought it was rude or felt uncomfortable with her reading it around him. He continued to watch her without her knowing that he had woken up.

As she turned the page, she saw his emerald eyes gazing at her and she quickly shoved a bookmark in and put it down on the floor beside her. "Hi," she smiled softly to her husband. She got down in the bed next to him and touched his cheek, showing her love for him and how grateful she was that he had accepted that love.

Kuon curiously looked over at what the book was and Kyoko paled. She wasn't sure whether to tell him or not but she had promised herself that she was going to try to not keep secrets from him any longer. She reached down and sighed, "I've been reading about your injuries," she admitted as he watched her. "I want to know how best to help you."

"Aaan-nyth-ing intt-ere—sttting?" he asked her and Kyoko smoothed down his hair. She didn't want him to hurt himself especially if it was because of her.

"Well, they say to let you be a bit more self-centered," she said with a laugh, "You've always had trouble with that one," she saw him looking at her, "I mean they also said inability to empathize with others but that's never been you, even when you ten you still cared so much about me and I'm so grateful for that. There's also mood swings mentioned but we can handle those," she said as she saw his worry.

"Oh, sweetheart," she whispered as she kissed his lips gently. "It's okay. Nobody wanted this to happen to you. It's not your fault at all so if you get aggressive or frustrated or depressed then I'm here, I'm not going to run away," she attempted to promise seeing his disappointment over that being a definite possibility.

"Honey, I know that you're doing your best. You have to keep doing your best, okay?" she asked as she took hold of his hand and smiled softly. She kissed him again before placing a hand on his cheek, "I'm getting things ready to go to Japan and your dad said that he wants to go back too. He said something about wanting to get back in touch with the president and that he thinks that he might be able to get more acting roles."

Once she mentioned acting she saw the light fade in Kuon's eyes and she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face deeper into his chest. "The doctors told me that if you keep progressing the way that you have, you might be able to get back into acting in a couple of years or even a year and a half."

Kuon sighed, "Ii-I'll n-nn-ever bbe aa-ass gg-oodd," he told her and Kyoko shook her head.

"The doctors said you will be or they don't see any reason why you wouldn't be but right now you have to rest because if you push yourself too much then it'll take a much longer time." Kyoko kissed him again before laughing softly, "I wouldn't worry too much though because we already know that _you_ can do anything," she said as she held his hand, "I've never met someone as amazing as you and I know that I never will."

 **End of Chapter Fifty Four**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Fifty Three**

Ashenvale: No but Sho did use their shower

Erza: Hopefully once I've got school and work in order I can update more of my fics because So Lucky to Have You will have some things like the pregnancy idea

Loyalty counts: Wow, impressive 😊 I kind of like torturing people especially Kuon because I love him so much

Paulagato: I never said anything about the gender of the baby/ies 😉

Undertheskys: She's going to try her best for her husband but only he knows of the pregnancy


	55. Chapter 55 - At Home

**AN:** So, I'm still planning on doing a mass update on Sunday. I already have chapters written for: Awake, Family History, If Love Was a Memory, It's Just Like Magic, and Kuon (I'm going alphabetically) and there will be about twice as many (hopefully) by the end of the week. As for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm thinking either next chapter or the one after there will be some information on the trial.

 **Chapter Fifty Five – At Home**

One week later, Kyoko was so happy when she could hear Kuon waking up in their own bed. Never had she been happier that Kuon had bought a house that actually had an elevator inside of it, it made pushing the wheelchair to the bedroom so much easier. She walked across to him and let her fingers run through his hair. She couldn't describe how pleased she was that she had been allowed to take care of him.

"Hi, sweetheart," she said as she knelt beside the bed so that she could put a hand to his cheek and kiss him passionately. She pulled back and smiled before picking up some papers that she had put on top of the dresser. These were all stapled in different groupings and she was eager to hear what her husband thought of them.

"Boss emailed me this morning," she said playfully, "He's found some places where we can live and easily get around to the places we love. They are all houses and Kuu ran the numbers, we'll be able to afford any of them that you like," she brought the papers to him before seeing his pain as he looked at them.

Kyoko bit her bottom lip and reached out to wrap her arms around him. She should have considered the fact that he was still relearning how to read and that in that damaged brain of his, some of the letters or well most of the letters looked like alien scribbles. Kyoko looked down. He had always been good at reading different languages, well being trilingual in English, Japanese, _and_ Russian would make that possible as each used very different writing systems.

Kyoko should have paid more attention to the pictures but at least she had _included_ pictures.

"Do you want…" she said before looking down, "Would you like me to read any of it to you?" she asked as she felt extremely guilty giving him them when he was having such a hard time. She put her hand to his chest, "If you need me to read them to you then I won't think less of you. You're trying really hard and you're making such great improvements, how could I be disappointed in you?" she asked as Kuon looked at the pictures.

To Kyoko's expectations, he was drawn to the one which had the nicest garden, the most nature and greenery around it.

"Hhow…abbou—tt this?" he asked very slowly, laboring over each word but Kyoko remained patient with him. She knew now that even if it took five minutes for Kuon to get out a single sentence, listening to him on those rarer occasions that he wanted to speak was most important. She couldn't hurry him or else he wouldn't progress as quickly as possible.

Kyoko walked over to the other side of the bed and leaned her body gently against his. He wrapped her up in his arms.

"I like that one too," she smiled, "and it's very close to where Moko-chan is," she told him and Kuon nodded slowly. "You do remember that houses in Japan are smaller, right?" Kuon nodded and pointed to where there were numbers.

"Wh-What ar-are th—these?" he asked as he tried to figure them out and Kyoko put her finger to them.

"They have two bathrooms and three bedrooms," she said as she read it, "and it's not the smallest house, it's actually quite large in Japanese standards in the Tokyo area. I really like the Zen garden for this one," she pointed and then found another picture, "and look at the koi pond. I know that you'd love taking care of the koi," she told him and Kuon smiled softly. Kyoko felt a rush of happiness as she saw him smile. He wasn't giving up despite all the pain he had gone through and was still going through.

"Wwill yy-" Kuon said before putting a hand to his head. He had just woken up and Kyoko was afraid that she had pushed him too far already. She should have been more considerate. "Wwill you ww-orkk?" he got out after waiting a few moments to calm himself.

Kyoko smiled, "I was thinking that we had enough money so that I wouldn't have to at first," she said before looking down. She wanted to be able to take care of him. She didn't want to hire somebody that she didn't know or inconvenience Kuu or Julie, besides she was pregnant and soon she'd start showing. She sighed, they still needed to tell Isabella and she already had so many things that she had to think about.

Kuon opened his mouth but then placed a hand on her stomach over where the baby would be and Kyoko nodded. "Yes, that is another thing to consider. You know, I can take care of the baby," she said as she pressed her head against his chest, "What the baby needs from you the most is love, understanding, a daddy and you'll be all those things. You already do have all those skills."

"Yyou'll ha—vee th-three bb-babi—es" he said as Kyoko saw the sadness appearing in his eyes and she felt tears prick her eyes. She shook her head and then moved so she was straddling his legs and making direct eye contact.

"Don't say that, you're not a baby," she said as she reached out to touch his cheek again. "Don't ever consider yourself less than my amazing husband, less than Isabella's amazing daddy. You're not a baby. You're not a cripple. You're not an inconvenience. You're Kuon, the man that I love with my entire heart and I know you, I know that you're going to beat this. I know that you won't let an idiot like _that_ to take you down and ruin your life," she put both hand on his cheeks and gave him a long and passionate kiss. As she pulled back she whispered to him, "I love you so much."

Kuon looked at her before nodding, he reached out to her and kissed her again and Kyoko wrapped her arms around him even more. His kisses could say even more than his words. She was so lucky to have him and she felt so scared that she had almost lost him due to her own stupidity.

…..

…..

Kyoko had been trying to prepare what to say all day to Isabella. Since Kuon was as settled in their house as he could be for the time being, the next challenge was telling Isabella about the pregnancy. Kyoko had hoped that when the time came that Kuon would be able to sit down with her and explain how much they both loved her and that all that would happen would be that their love would grow and extend to another life form. That was what she had originally wanted to have happen because Kuon explaining it would have been best for everyone but that was no longer an option.

They had already been to the physical therapist but because of the traumatic brain injury, he wasn't pushing or challenging Kuon as much as he would if it were just a spinal injury. He had even said that he thought it would be best to wait until the injury to his brain fixed itself but Kuon had insisted that he wanted to do as much as he was physically able to do. Kyoko knew that he could accomplish more than the goals that they had set him but this would give him some time to rest.

Kyoko heard the sound of Kuu coming into the house and Kyoko paced the room before grinning to Isabella who approached her with slightly more acceptance than she had done since Kuon's injury. "Welcome home," she said to the little girl as Isabella neatly put her shoes and bag away.

"Hi," she said before looking around, "Is Daddy in his bedroom?" she asked and Kyoko nodded before seeing the little girl hurry up the stairs to see him.

Kuu watched her go before looking at Kyoko, "how's he doing today? Any mood swings?" he asked as he remembered one time that past week when he had visited them and Kuon had started crying. It broke his heart to see such a strong man in such pain especially since it was his son.

"No, he's actually had a good day. Did…did Boss also send you the pictures of the houses?" Kyoko asked with a little hesitation and Kuu nodded.

"There's a house near the one with the zen garden that Julie and I liked," he told her and Kyoko smiled, "I thought that that would be the house that captured Kuon's attention the most and I want to take care of him, we want to take care of him as much as we're able to," he said and Kyoko smiled with a soft laugh.

"You know Kuon very well," she said and Kuu lifted his chin in mock arrogance.

"Well, he is my son," he said and Kyoko smiled. She felt even more guilty as she spoke to Kuu about Kuon. Kuu had never let his love for Kuon slide and he hadn't done anything that could seriously jeopardize that love like she had.

Kyoko looked down before looking at Kuu, "Can I ask your advice on something that Kuon and I need to tell Bella?" she asked, she knew that she and Kuon had agreed that they wanted Bella to be the first to know but would telling her grandfather, the unborn child's grandfather, really be so wrong especially if they were going to tell Bella that night.

"Okay," Kuu said slowly as he looked at her, giving her his full attention.

"I'm pregnant," Kyoko said softly and Kuu's eyes widened before he smiled, "We found out before the accident, I think it's what caused Kuon to be so distracted during the fight," she said rubbing her arm as the guilt showed in her face again. "We're going to keep the baby but we haven't told Bella yet. I don't know how to…"

"Tell her in the calmest way possible," Kuu advised, "and expect that she's going to be upset. Prepare for the best but expect the worst," he advised. "Am I allowed to tell Julie this?" he asked excitedly and Kyoko nodded.

"Apart from Kuon and I, you're the only one who knows right now so please only tell Julie unless you think it's best for Kuon to," she said and Kuu sighed.

"Usually I would but I think right now not pressuring Kuon is best," Kuu said before giving Kyoko a hug, saying goodbye, and leaving. Kyoko wrapped her arms around herself. That was the first time that Kuu had held her since Kuon had gained consciousness. She had forgotten how special that had made her feel.

…

…

"Bella," Kyoko said as she finished clearing the dishes from their meal, "Can you sit at the table, your father and I need to tell you something," she said and Bella looked at them.

"We already had dessert," Bella said before her eyes widened. "is this about Daddy's condition? Is he getting worse? Does he have to go to the hospital again?" she panicked and Kyoko shook her head. She saw Kuon reach across for her hand before shaking his own head hoping to comfort her.

"No, I…Bella I'm pregnant," she said as the little girl's eyes stayed wide and she looked at her mother in shock before turning to her dad for confirmation. Kuon nodded to this.

"Like…with a baby?" she asked and Kyoko smiled.

"Yes, you're going to have a little brother or sister," she told her and Isabella looked down.

"But I don't want a little brother or sister," she told her mother and Kyoko looked to Kuon.

"Yyou-'ll be –a ggrea—tt sis—ter," he tried to encourage her and Bella looked horrified for a second.

"It's Daddy's, right?" she asked.

 **End of Chapter Fifty Five**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Chapter Fifty Four**

Ashenvale: Yep, it would have been bad if it continued for too long. She also burned that robe and pajamas and bought Kuon some new clothes

Kris XD: Well when she came to her senses nothing else mattered but her family

Loyalty counts: Well he will improve but not all at once

Paulagato: Hopefully so but they are moving back to Japan and Sho _is_ there

Undertheskys: Kyoko just needed to snap back to reality


	56. Chapter 56 - Listening and Understanding

**AN:** I really hope that you enjoy this chapter since it has a lot of Kuon-bonding in it.

 **Chapter Fifty Six – Listening and Understanding**

Kuon stared at his daughter in shock of what she had just said. Where did she learn these things? Okay, he had been in a coma for three weeks and hospitalized for almost two following that so there were maybe five weeks where he hadn't been around to guide her but it was still very shocking. He looked at Kyoko who was staring at her daughter without saying anything.

She had _not_ been expecting to be asked that.

"Of course," she said quickly, "of course it's your daddy's," she said and Isabella pushed her chair back, looking at the empty space in front of her. She felt sick. She felt as if her walls were caving in and she ran from the table, going upstairs to her bedroom.

Kuon looked down, "I tth-thou-ghht shh-he'd…" he put a hand to his head and Kyoko walked over to him, crouching down beside the wheelchair so their eyes were level.

"Would you like me to get some of the pain medication?" she asked as Kuon looked at her and nodded slowly. "Okay," she put a hand to his shoulder and squeezed it before coming back with the pills that the hospital had prescribed for him along with a glass of water. "You know, I wasn't expecting her to act any other way," she said and Kuon looked at her.

"Yyou ww-er-ere ex-pp-ec-ect—thhat qq-ue" he asked surprised and Kyoko looked down.

"Okay, I wasn't expecting _that_ particular question but I wasn't thinking that she'd be excited right now about the news with everything else happening around her," she saw Kuon's guilty look and placed a hand on his cheek. "None of this is your fault, you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Even if you weren't injured, she'd still feel like this."

Kuon nodded slowly though he still looked guilty about everything. He didn't want to disappoint his daughter despite his own happiness at having a new baby. He just hoped that Isabella would come around to the idea of being a big sister before the baby was born.

…

…

Bella had her face buried in her pillow. She didn't know what to do with this information and she felt guilty that she was so upset but she didn't want for a new baby to come between her and her daddy. For most of her life it had been the two of them with Grandma and Grandpa on the sidelines and getting called in off the bench when needed. Still, it had been her dad who had always been there for her and the two of them had been there for each other.

She didn't need an unfaithful mother and some bratty baby to get in the middle of that. She wrapped her arms around herself again and sobbed into her pillow. She didn't want to be forgotten because there was a new baby girl who was lucky enough to be raised with both a daddy _and_ a mommy.

Bella heard a knock on her bedroom door and tried to rub the tears out of her eyes. She didn't want for that woman to see her cry, she didn't want to lose her strength in front of her. She knew it was that woman, her daddy wasn't doing well and now he had to take care of a baby. This wasn't fair on him. He had already missed father's day because of the stupidity of that woman.

"I don't wanna talk," she said before hearing a knock. Maybe she hadn't heard her? Maybe she was too stupid to understand the situation. Bella got onto the ground and went across to her door. "I don't want to ta-" she began but to her surprise it wasn't her mother there. "Daddy?" she asked seeing the wheelchair bound man.

"Hhe—y cc-a—" he began and Bella nodded her head making sure that the door was open enough for him to roll the chair in. Once he was inside the room, she closed the door and went to sit at the edge of her bed.

"I thought it was…" Bella looked down and shook her head, she didn't want to admit to her dad what she was thinking, she felt guilty enough about it without seeing his sadness. "You don't have to say anything, I know what you want to say and I'll…I'll try to get used to being second place."

Kuon looked at her and shook his head, he reached a hand to her and softly let his hand rest on her cheek.

"Tth-ann-kk yy-ou" he struggled despite having taken the medicine which was supposed to make the pain lessen. Isabella blinked hard as she listened to him. She didn't want for him to thank her for her actions, she had done nothing that was worthy of her being thanked by him.

"Daddy, you shouldn't be thanking me," she said before trying to rub away the tears. She didn't mind crying in front of her daddy unless he would feel pain from it. Her father had always encouraged her to cry, he had always been there to cheer her up and she knew he would do so now as well. "I haven't been doing anything where you need to thank me," she told him and Kuon shook his head.

He opened his arms and Bella took the hint and pushed herself off the bed so that she could sit on his lap and press her face into his chest like he always allowed her to do. She felt her sobs escape and her daddy held her close using both his arms now.

"Bbella," he said as he stroked her hair back, "Ttha-nnk y-you fo-for -" this time Bella remained quiet during the pause, sometimes it would take her father longer to piece together his sentences and she wanted to know the words that her daddy would say, "bbei—ing my d-dd-daug—aughtt-er."

Bella giggled at that and hugged her daddy even more, she felt herself swallow a few more sobs, "Thank you for being my Daddy."

"Yy-you're gg-ggoi-ing to bbe—" Kuon looked down which gave Bella enough time to slow her own breathing, "a bb-igg ss-sistt-er."

Isabella nodded slowly, she felt guilty for the pain that she was going through and she definitely didn't want her daddy to know the truth. Daddy had enough that he had to worry about. However, as she looked into those emerald eyes even behind those thick rimmed "nerdy" glasses, she saw that he understood her still. Maybe he had trouble vocalizing his thoughts but they were still the same thoughts inside his head.

"What if you like the new baby more than me?" she asked and Kuon kissed the top of her head, shaking his head. He wrapped her up closer in his arms.

"Nn-evv-er," he promised her and Isabella put a hand on his chest.

"Okay, Daddy, that's enough," she told him, "I understand." She cuddled close to him, "Daddy, can we do something fun tomorrow?" she asked, "Like go shopping at the Disney store…"

Kuon tensed at that, he looked at his daughter nervously. He wanted to tell her that he couldn't but he knew that she needed this. He knew that despite the fear of ridicule and pain and the paparazzi when it came to his condition, his daughter needed to feel special. He nodded slowly willing to risk his own comfort to provide for her happiness.

…

…

Kyoko looked down painfully at the papers in front of her. Apparently there was some kind of plea deal that Grant had asked for and it did include a restraining order, a large sum for damages and trauma, and some jail time but inside her heart it didn't feel like enough. She wanted to see him suffer for this. She wanted to see him get the electric cha- okay maybe not that far but she wanted to see him at least receive some punishment.

Kyoko looked up as Kuon wheeled himself over to her. She didn't want to look at him. She knew what his response to all of this would be and she didn't like it. Taking a deep breath in to settle herself, Kyoko moved her chair so Kuon could sit closer to her. "I…these were sent over by the lawyer, is it okay to talk about them?" she asked.

Kuon nodded, after talking with Bella he felt that he wanted to rest his voice. This made Kyoko hesitate even more in telling him about what was on the table before her.

"Grant said that he wants to make a plea deal, he says that he wants to settle this out of court," Kyoko said and Kuon looked at the paper. He sighed, wondering why he did that, his eyes could only pick out some generic two and three letter words. He put it down before tapping it.

"I cc-an't…" he said and Kyoko tilted her head.

"You can't settle this out of court?" she asked surprised but a little happy. If the court were able to see the truly awful things that Grant had done to Kuon then they would be giving him life in prison instead of this twenty-year with parole option agreement. This meant that Grant would get out of prison in his forties and Kyoko personally wanted him to suffer for so much longer than twenty years. He had tried to hurt her husband who had wanted to save him from imprisonment before he had got hurt. "I think that -"

"I ccan't…re-read it," Kuon finished for her and Kyoko stopped being excited and sighed. She looked at him with sad eyes.

"He would only be imprisoned for a couple of decades if we were to agree to this," she told him and Kuon looked at the papers sadly. He put a hand to his head. He was recovering already and even if he had to struggle just to live a normal everyday life, he didn't want to rob anyone of their freedom. After all, he had hurt Rick.

Kuon sighed before nodding, "Okk-ay," he said and Kyoko looked at him before staring at the papers.

"After all that he's done to us, Kuon, you just want to let him go?" she asked and Kuon nodded again. Kyoko took a look at the different papers, she didn't want to agree to this but she knew that it was his decision. As much as she wanted to see him punished, Kuon was always too damn kind hearted for his own good but that was why she fell for him, because he was kind and supportive even to those who did him pain.

Kyoko sighed, "Let's talk about it with the lawyer but if you still feel that it would be right to take this deal then we can sign the papers. I just want you to know what you're saying, the way you're treating this man. He hurt you Kuon, he's hurt you in ways that we don't even know what the results will be."

"Hhe—e's hh-ur-tting tto-o" Kuon said and Kyoko sighed. She knew he was right. She knew that Kuon understood that it was the pain inside from causing someone else this pain that he would have to live with but Kyoko wondered if Kuon knew that people weren't him. Not everyone had his kindness and understanding. Not everyone would suffer the way that he did over Rick.

She sighed, maybe it was okay for him to live in a world where he saw the good in other people whilst being confined to a wheelchair with a traumatic brain injury. Maybe she should learn from his example.

 **End of Chapter Fifty Six**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Fifty Five**

Crazy4Animation: You're right but he is Kuon, he isn't human in some ways. Bella is very intelligent 😊

Kris XD: Bella is very mature and very intelligent

Ktoll9: Yep and she did it without thinking how her daddy would hurt from it

Paulagato: I think there was a translation error in that that made me laugh 😊 and no, Kyoko didn't have relations with Sho but she did hug him and pretend that he was Kuon and let him wear Kuon's clothes

Undertheskys: Not the next chapter but soon she will be


	57. Chapter 57 - Inabilities

**Chapter Fifty Seven – Inabilities**

"Are you sure that you're okay with doing this," Kyoko asked as she placed a hand on Kuon's cheek. She tilted her head to the side so that she could look into his eyes. She was definitely worried about him. Kuon hadn't liked being in the hospital because people knew him from his work and he felt so obvious. However, Kyoko knew that he would do anything in his power to make Bella happy and this is what she had asked him for.

"Bbe-lla…ww-anttt—" Kuon struggled again. Because of his nerves, his head hurt even more than usual when he spoke. However, he wouldn't let anyone know that because he didn't want to disappoint her. He wanted to be a good father but because of the injury it was tougher for him than Kyoko could imagine.

"Bella will understand," Kyoko said and Kuon shook his head. "She will, sweetheart, I don't want to see you get hurt. The doctor said that seizures are a possibility if you get stressed," Kyoko looked down as she saw Kuon look aside. She paused as his eyes caught onto something that she had been looking at and she noticed as his body froze.

It was a picture of a twenty-two year old Ren from when they had first started dating. They had been asked to pose for the front of a magazine to show that they were a couple and Ren had seemed so full of life. Kyoko looked nervously at Kuon as he pulled the paper towards him and his entire body started shaking.

"Sweetheart, I….it's an old picture okay, people change," she said as she knew what he was feeling. The way that he was now, the feeling of being powerless and having to rely on others, that was something that he had tried to keep hidden. He had once been seen as the greatest actor in Japan. He had once had the athletic ability to jump off a balcony, twirl around on a flag pole, and come out unscathed. Now he had trouble moving and talking and had to rely on somebody else.

Kyoko knew how painful that would be. She knew that she wouldn't be able to focus on the past if she was given that type of present.

"Tttha—att's nno-ttt mmee" he struggled and Kyoko grabbed to his hand, squeezing it in an attempt to show her support. She saw him start to shake and so brought his hand to her lips, kissing it multiple times. Anyone could see the difference between who he had been before the accident and who he had become after it. She still loved him though. She had been terrified of that change but she had decided how stupid she had been to think that it changed anything.

"It is you," Kyoko said as she put a hand to his chest, "In here. I know that that's you. Inside all of this, that's the person that you are."

"No," Kuon replied stubbornly as his hand rested on top of the picture. "Ittt's nnott"

"Who is it then?" Kyoko asked as she tried to swallow her sobs and bowed her head so that he wouldn't see her tears and get the wrong idea. She wasn't about to cry because she missed the person in the photograph, she _did_ know that he was right here in front of her. She wanted to cry because of how hurt he was, how difficult this was for him.

"Ttthe—mmann yyou…..ll-ovve," he replied and Kyoko felt her heart shatter. She shook her head quickly and immediately. What was he talking about? What was he trying to tell her, the person in that picture _was_ him. It would always be him. Okay, technically it was Ren Tsuruga instead of Kuon Hizuri, but the two of them had been the same guy just two different sides of the same guy.

"Do you think that I don't love you?" she asked as tears slid down her cheeks and she saw them drop onto the floor. She knew that she had acted stupidly but she knew how she felt. She knew who owned her heart. She shouldn't have left him. She should have always been thinking clearly on the subject.

Kyoko moved so that she was sitting on Kuon's lap and took a nervous inhale. He could shove her off and she would be fine but she wanted to prove to him that she wanted to be close to him, that she didn't care about the injuries and she just wanted to help him. He wrapped his arms around her though she could see he was trying hard not to cry.

She didn't care if he cried. If that was what made him feel better then she wanted to comfort him. "I love you," she whispered as she pressed her face into his shoulder. "I love you so much and the doctors have told me that you're doing so much better than they could have ever predicted. They thought that you'd have difficulty listening and you're responding and saying things that make sense," she said as she nuzzled his neck. "Sweetheart, stay with me today?" she asked, "Just take today to stay with me and rest in bed. We can go with Bella another day but please don't go today?" she asked as she tried hard not to cry.

She saw him shaking as he looked at her and then he looked away though she could see the sparkle of tears in his eyes. She was reminded once again of what had happened those many many years ago when Beagle had told her that Corn was probably going through a lot of pain that was reflected in the stone. He had said that she hadn't listened and that it was impossible for someone to go through what Kuon had gone through without any lasting sadness. Besides, since she had been gone, Kuon had tried to end his own life a few times.

She wrapped her arms around him and pushed herself even closer before she felt him put his head down on her shoulder and his body started to shake. She felt the tears get released and she just sat there with him.

She wouldn't mention it to him but she felt good that Kuon was trusting her enough to show his weakness. She kissed him numerous times whilst whispering how much she loved him.

"Why don't you just try to rest today, take care of yourself, be selfish," she said and he nodded though she knew he felt guilty about not being able to do what Isabella had asked him for.

"Okay, do you need any help?" she asked and he shook his head. He gently moved Kyoko off of him and she stood, placing her hand on his cheek once again. "I'll come and check on you in a little bit, okay?" she asked him and he nodded. She sighed as she watched him go, reaching for a facial wipe.

She took a few inhales before putting her hand on her chest. She shouldn't have left that picture out but now that she knew that it had triggered this reaction, she would definitely be more careful in the future.

…..

….

Kyoko understood that Bella wouldn't want to see her. She knew that the little girl relied on her father and she needed him and she also knew the guilt that Kuon was going through. She needed Bella to know that this wasn't because she wasn't loved but because Kuon had physical and mental needs that had to be sorted to.

She knocked on the door gently and then opened it to see Isabella curled up on her bed reading a book. Kyoko walked over to her and saw the little girl look down.

"Hey, Bella," she said as Bella avoided looking at her, "Can I speak to you about something?"

"We're not going out, are we?" she asked and Kyoko grabbed to her upper arm. She nodded before sitting down on the bed. She felt uncomfortable around Bella but she was still trying her best. She wouldn't argue against the fact that she probably deserved the way that Bella felt towards her. She had been absent from the little girl's life. She was supposed to be a mother, the one who guided Bella through life and she had been as absent as her own mother had been.

She had only had Corn for a little while when she was around Bella's age. He had been her fairy prince, someone who made her feel better about the world. Though he had grown up, he was still the same person underneath and Bella had had the benefit of years of him working with her being his priority. He had given her everything that he could and prioritized his own needs less.

If she had had Corn do that for her then she wouldn't want him to stop and share that with somebody else. She understood how amazing her fairy prince was to her and she could only imagine that Bella felt the same. With how amazing one parent was and with how disappointing the other had been, Kyoko understood why there was this judgement.

"Did you ask him not to?" Bella asked and Kyoko nodded. "I knew it. You just want him to yourself."

"Bella, he's always going to love you so much but," Kyoko looked at her, "your father is really really hurt. He's trying his best but if he pushes himself past his limits, through his exhaustion then he's not going to get better. The doctors didn't even think that your dad would be moving himself around in the wheelchair or talking to us," Kyoko sighed. "Bella, each time your dad talks he's putting himself in pain," she admitted wanting to take the honest approach with her.

"So why does he do it?" Bella asked as she put the book down. "If it really hurts him then why does -"

"Because he has his own problems which before my accident I had been trying to help him with for years. Your dad has…his outlook on life is where he will do things for others no matter the physical toll it puts on him. You're right when he said that I was the reason that he got hurt. He was worried about me. He wanted to make sure that I was okay but as much as I pled with him to get back to the fight he was having, to not lower his guard, he didn't want me to get hurt," Kyoko felt tears appear in her eyes again but she wrapped an arm around herself hoping that that would be enough to keep them in.

"Bella, you told me that you wanted to do whatever you could to help your daddy be happy, right?" she asked and Bella nodded. "He loves you so much but…but just living each day is hard for him right now. He's happy that he gets to be your daddy, he's happy that we're going to have another baby. He's trying his hardest but you have to give him a chance to say no as well."

"Daddy never says no when I ask him things," Bella admitted and Kyoko sighed.

"Don't you see that there's something wrong with that?" she asked and Bella frowned at her. "I'm not saying that he shouldn't give you things or do what you ask him for. He's an amazing dad so he's going to do whatever he can to be that father for you. Even if you hate me though, you have to understand that he's hurt and it's going to be a while until he gets better," Kyoko wiped away her own tears.

Bella looked at her, "I don't hate you," she said and Kyoko blinked in shock.

"You….don't hate me?" she asked confused and Bella looked down.

"I don't think so," she replied with a shake of her head, "No. I just don't trust you."

 **End of Chapter Fifty Seven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Fifty Six**

Ashenvale: Yes, and I think that Kuon would do that personally especially since he is reunited with the person whose death caused him so much pain

Crazy4Animation: How do you know it wasn't Sho who taught her that 😉

JeremyVD: I don't think that she's jealous of Kyoko. Maybe I didn't explain it properly but the second best idea was meant to be towards the new baby instead of Kyoko. I think if I added an extra sentence or something it might have shown Bella's jealousy to the unborn baby instead of Kyoko

Kris XD: Me neither but Kuon has gone through so much himself and his father is someone who is very peaceful for the most part

Paulagato: Well the trip is going to have to wait 😉

Undertheskys: THANK YOU! I'm glad that you managed to understand the way I wanted to show Bella's character


	58. Chapter 58 - The Healing Process

**AN:** This chapter is something very different, I hope that you enjoy it. Also, I tried to make posts which provide clarification not attacks and insults. I have borderline personality disorder or BPD so sometimes I can't voice myself properly. I try my best but my brain is different from others and I am taking medication for it

 **Chapter Fifty Eight – The Healing Process**

Kyoko had agreed to meet with Kuon's doctor to discuss his progress. She had wanted for Kuon to be there as well but the doctor had asked her that it would be a good idea for her to come alone so as not to trigger him. It seemed strange but this was to help her husband. She pulled up at the hospital and managed to find a parking space near where his office was. This was the head trauma area and Kyoko felt a little nervous.

She stood up and then managed to use her acting to create a calm expression on her face. She would go in and talk to him, discuss what could be done and find out how she could have Kuon's treatment continue once they had moved back to Japan. She entered the hospital and walked over to the front desk. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw someone just staring at her and she moved slightly a little nervous about this.

"Someone will be able to check you in in a minute," the woman at the front desk said and Kyoko nodded as she took a seat and saw that the woman who had been looking at her before had turned so she was still staring at her.

Kyoko felt strange as she attempted to smile to the other woman.

"You're preeety," the woman said to her and Kyoko shifted uncomfortably before nodding. She could see that this woman had a dent in her head and she understood why this woman had been looking at her. She just didn't want to vocalize how uncomfortable it was making her. "She's pretty," the woman told another woman a few years older than her.

"Yes, she is very pretty," the second woman nodded, "I'm so sorry about my sister, she was in an accident about a year and a half ago. She didn't mea-"

"No, it's….it's okay," Kyoko said quickly as she tried to smile to the woman who had had the brain injury. "My, umm, my husband he's…he's working through a traumatic brain injury himself. He was in a coma for about three weeks," she said before looking down sadly as she thought about the difference between Kuon before and Kuon after the coma. He had already made great improvements but he wasn't able to be the man he was inside just yet.

"Then that must have been really bad, Cindy didn't really have a coma but she did pass out though," the woman said with a smile, "I'm Kimberly James," she introduced herself and Kyoko looked down.

"Kyoko…Hizuri," she said before Kimberly's eyes widened.

"Really, so your husband is -" she said and Kyoko nodded, "I was wondering how he had escaped the spotlight. So, what level is he at?" she asked and Kyoko paused.

"I'm really sorry but I don't want any of this getting to the media," she said regretting having said her name. She should have just remained anonymous. "Out of respect for my husband," she said and then looked at a man who was hitting himself in the head and striking out at people around him. She saw a couple of medical personnel help the man calm down by injecting something into his arm.

This wasn't real, right?

Kuon might not be acting like himself, but he wasn't acting like these people were. She stood as she heard her name and then smiled as it turned out to be Kuon's doctor standing in the doorway. She quickly went over to him and looked around. "Why did you ask me here?" Kyoko asked as she witnessed the other patients who were being treated. Kuon wasn't acting like this.

"I want to talk about Kuon," the doctor said and Kyoko smiled before nodding and following him into his office.

Kyoko sat down at the desk and then put her hands in her lap whilst holding a very formal pose. She needed to get whatever information this man had to tell her and then get back to Kuon. It made her feel so much anxiety being in this place. "Is he doing okay?" Kyoko asked, "I know that he's had his checkup recently but he told me that he's been doing fine and that he's improving well. Is there something that I'm not understanding?" she asked nervously.

The doctor smiled to her, "I'd like to write a paper on your husband," he said and Kyoko looked at him before looking very hurt and taken aback.

"He didn't get hurt because he's famous. He shouldn't have to have papers and articles and the press around him whilst he's recovering," Kyoko said and the doctor continued with a soft laugh.

"I think that you misunderstand me," he continued and Kyoko looked down trying to soften her expression. "I don't want to do a paper on your husband because he's famous. Kuon is recovering at an incredible rate. I don't think that you even understand how quick his progress is. I think that studying his recovery could lead to more people recovering at such a speed. I'm blown away by his progress."

"His progress is that -" Kyoko said and the doctor smiled at her.

"If someone who had Kuon's injuries were to survive the coma stage, they most probably wouldn't show as much cognitive thought, as much control over emotions, as much ability to live a day to day life like he does. They might be seen in the same way a small infant might be seen. Kuon is acting as if his injury is akin to a moderate concussion rather than someone who has had such a traumatic injury. Something like this happened when he was pushed off a building as well. We just want to verify that he's human."

Kyoko stared at him, her mind was attempting to wrap itself around what he had just said, "You want to verify that he's human?" she asked before raising an eyebrow, "Trust me, my husband is very _very_ anatomically human male and quite an impressive specimen at that. I refuse to have you use him to further your dubious research. Kuon needs to recover, he doesn't need to get used."

"How do you account for his quicker recovery speed?" the doctor asked and Kyoko laughed.

"I account for him having an impressive recovery speed because he's Kuon and that's just what Kuon does. He's a winner, he motivates himself, he's amazing. Now, please tell me that you want to help my husband instead of just using him to further your career," Kyoko told him as she felt as if _she_ had been attacked.

"Yes," the doctor nodded and Kyoko moved in the seat again, her eyes studying the man before her, "Let's talk about where Kuon can receive his treatment when in Japan. Is there a price range that," he saw the way Kyoko was looking at him. "Okay, well the best doctors are here," he said as he pulled out a stack of papers.

"I don't care about costs," Kyoko told him, "We'll pay it, whatever helps him get better, we'll pay it."

…..

…

Kyoko still felt incredibly uncomfortable about why she had been asked to come to the hospital _especially_ since she had been asked to come without Kuon. This was Kuon's life and he was doing all of the hard work that was leading to his improvement, she didn't want some American doctor to try to take credit for his accomplishments.

As she entered the house, she looked around trying to work out where her husband was. She smiled as she went to their bedroom. At least she could change into something more comfortable even if Kuon wasn't there. She knew that she should say hello to Julie first but after that chilling meeting, she wanted to be with Kuon as soon as possible.

As she opened the door to her bedroom she was surprised to see Kuon there looking at a book. She heard a few weak words come out of his mouth as his finger shook over the letters. She held her breath before approaching him as quietly as possible.

"Aaandd-CCi-nn-Cind—err-elll" Kuon said as he tried to sound it out and Kyoko smiled as she sat watching him. She saw him struggle through the rest of the page but she had to stop herself from sobbing loudly. He however heard her and quickly shut the book, putting it underneath the table as if embarrassed about reading it.

"Yy-ou—u're bb-ac-ck" he said as he looked her over and Kyoko put a hand to her mouth. She was so happy about what she had just walked in on. Kuon was doing his best to read a book despite how he had told her only a week ago that the letters still didn't look that recognizable. In a week he had managed to pick up twenty-five percent of the words on the page. She was so excited for him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked excitedly as she got down onto the ground and picked up a book of princess stories for helping children three to five years of age how to read. She looked over the book and tears filled her eyes as she held it.

Kuon looked at her nervously before staring down, "Iiitt'ss nn-ott mm-u-uch,"

"Sweetheart, it's incredible," Kyoko said happily as she tried to stop herself from crying too loudly. He really was progressing at a speed that the medical books didn't define as normal but then there were babies who had higher IQs then most grown men. "Please please please read to me, even if it's just one page, even just one sentence?" she asked and Kuon looked at her.

She could see his hesitation as he took another look to the book. This was just a children's book and he was having difficulty reading it, it wasn't something even worth getting excited about to him. To Kyoko though, this was so many kinds of wonderful coming together. She had grown up loving princess stories and she had grown up with her fairy prince. He was able to start reading this book despite all of his pain.

She smiled as he sighed and took the book from her, opening it to the story of Snow White.

It was a labored process, with him having to sound out some of the words and Kyoko having to help him with some of the letters but to Kyoko this was as wonderful as when she had been standing at the altar hearing the most important and most wonderful words she had ever heard; his wedding vows.

 **End of Chapter Fifty Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Chapter Fifty Seven**

Ashenvale: Thank you. Sometimes I want to show things but because I have borderline personality disorder my brain is just weird and I have trouble expressing the images in my head. Thank you for your understanding

Erza: I really just wanted to explain myself. I'm sorry about the bracketed portion Yeah, that maybe was a little too mature

Kris XD: Thanks, let's see how this changes her 😊

Paulagato: True, plus Kyoko is more understanding to that since she doesn't trust herself either

Undertheskys: I assure you Kuon will make a full recovery but again, it will take some time


	59. Chapter 59 - Whatever Title

Grant looked at the papers that were signed in front of him and he picked up the pen nervously. He looked up at Kyoko, to his lawyer, and then back to Kyoko. "Are you sure that these are right?" he asked as Kyoko attempted her hardest to not make eye contact with him.

"That's what he wants," Kyoko said before looking at her own lawyer and sighed. She didn't want to take the role away from Kuon, everyone was saying that Kuon needed as much independence and power over his own decisions as possible but Kyoko wanted to protest these words. Kuon had said that he wanted to claim damages in the form of money but that in doing so, Grant would only be in jail for three years on terms of aggravated and violent assault, one year for each hit with the pipe. Kuon had also said that he wanted a restraining order between Grant and every member of his family and that if they were cast in the same film or tv show, Grant had to step away from the role for legal reasons.

To Kyoko, Kuon was being _far_ too lenient.

This guy had attempted to kill him and Kuon would rather take his money and leave him to still work within Hollywood. Of course, with the way that this was televised, finding jobs and having people want to work with you would be difficult. Everyone would remember that you were the actor who pushed a guy off of a building only to hurt him with a pipe.

"Am I okay to sign this?" Grant asked his lawyer and Grant turned to her, "Thank you, Kyoko. I know that you talked to him about this, thanks for cari-"

"I'm not the one who toned it down like this," Kyoko said trying to keep her sense of calm, "I'm not…I didn't do it for you," she said before looking down, "I wanted you to have life imprisonment but Kuon's the one who said that you should be given a chance to live a good life."

"So, he must not be hurt then," Grant said as he tapped the pen on the paper.

"He most definitely _is_ hurt," Kyoko said as tears filled her eyes. She pulled her phone out and turned to a video of Kuon in his wheelchair speaking very slowly about him being the one who had made those decisions. Kyoko felt the sting in her eyes as Grant looked at it and then looked down sadly.

"Okay," he said as he signed the papers and the lawyers checked it over.

"This says that you are to go to pri-" the defense lawyer began and Grant sighed and stood.

"Sure, it says that I need to go to prison right now, today," he said and the defense lawyer shook his head.

"No, one week. You have one week before -"

"Spend it with your family. Spend it with people who care about you but don't you _dare_ come near Kuon," Kyoko said, she looked between the lawyers, "Are we done here? Can you send me the rest of the documents?" once the two lawyers had nodded, Kyoko turned around and walked out with her head held high. She didn't agree with the punishment in relation to the crime but she knew that it would make Kuon happy to think he was giving him a chance at life, whatever that life was.


	60. Chapter 60 - Definitions of Your Husband

**AN:** Thank you for all your support. I'm still not feeling, "good" but I'm getting better after all the support. The worst part is it isn't just a troll, it's actually someone in the community who writes well, has her own group of fans, and is someone who I truly respect. It doesn't mean that her words weren't demoralizing or painful but she is someone I admire.

 **Chapter Sixty – Definitions of Your Husband**

Kyoko finished putting the things in the kitchen in different boxes to be sorted. She knew that Kuon had just told her to use her best judgement and that if she wanted to, she could throw it all away but she also knew that there were many memories that Bella and he had shared in each room of the huge house. They would be going to Japan in under a week and Kyoko wanted to make sure they had everything for the movers.

She smiled as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked down at her belly where she was starting to really show. She put a finger to her lips as she looked at the signs of her pregnancy and thought about her secret. She was going to have two babies, twins. Next month the doctor would be able to tell her the gender of the two babies but she was scared of how Kuon was going to react.

Each day he got stronger and was able to go a little longer without his voice breaking when speaking, he had even been able to move his ankles and lift one of his legs which the doctor – a new doctor – had said was incredible in his situation. However, this wasn't like the things that he could control and she worried that knowing he was going to have twins would push him over the edge.

She sighed as she finished sorting out the cookware and smoothed down the skirt that she was wearing. She went over to the bedroom that she had made for Kuon downstairs and was surprised not to see him there, only a short time ago he had been taking a nap. How long had she been in the kitchen?

"Bella?" she called out and Isabella looked at her from where she was in the living room, "Where's your father?"

"Daddy left with Grandma," Bella replied before looking down at her book which was in Japanese. "Grandma didn't seem happy but she decided to leave with Daddy so he wouldn't get hurt."

Kyoko's body straightened and she raised an eyebrow, "There's a possibility that your dad might get hurt and you didn't tell me?" she asked as she put a hand on her belly. She looked at Isabella painfully, "Bella, wouldn't this be something that I'd need to know?" she asked and Isabella sighed.

"Grandma said that there was no stopping him and she'd rather go with him then let him go alone," Bella told her before staring at the ground. "Grandmother was worried that Daddy's actions would hurt his head."

Kyoko paled at this as she reached for her phone, she called Julie whilst attempting to fight back a panic attack. She needed to talk to her. Kuon was her husband and she felt as if they were telling her how unworthy she was if she couldn't even know he might be hurting himself. She immediately called Julie's number and she answered after three rings.

Before Julie could say anything, Kyoko spoke between sobs, "Please tell me he's okay. Please" she begged and Julie hesitated. Kyoko could hear her breaths on the other end of the phoneline and her heart started to break. She didn't know what was going on, all she knew was that she didn't like it.

"He's alive," Julie said and Kyoko put a hand over her mouth to stop a sob from coming out.

"He's okay, right?" Kyoko continued to ask desperately, "This isn't going to make his recovery time slower, right?" Kyoko sat down near Isabella as she held the phone close to her ear. "He's okay, he's going to be okay?"

"I think in time," Julie said and Kyoko didn't like the vague way in which she was talking. "Kyoko, physically Kuon is going to be fine but I'm not sure how I can describe what he's doing other than to say that he's Renifying himself," she said and Kyoko looked down.

What kind of word was that?

Renifying? Becoming more like Ren? Hadn't he already figured out that he _was_ Ren Tsuruga despite the injuries. Yes, he was Kuon Hizuri but Ren Tsuruga was a huge part of who he was. How could he be beco- Kyoko froze. Isabella had said that it was something that could hurt his head. It was something that Julie didn't agree with. It was - she had an idea but she had to verify it, "Julie, where are you?"

"At a hair salon," Julie said in a straightforward manner and Kyoko nodded, putting a hand to her heart.

She now knew exactly what Renifying meant.

…

…

Kyoko waited patiently for Kuon to come home. She knew that despite what other people might say or what they might think, he was capable of doing small errands without anyone's help but that didn't mean that she didn't want to give it to him. She wanted him to be able to live a daily life without help but she was so worried about him.

She had heard that other people couldn't accomplish in two years what Kuon had in a month and a half. He really was an incredible fairy prince but that was what worried her most. He was such a strong individual and he had never had to rely on anybody else. Kyoko wondered sometimes if he even knew _how_ to ask for help.

She heard the beep saying that the passcode on the gate had been entered and she jumped up. As she stepped outside, she saw what she was fearing. He had in colored contacts instead of those square rimmed black glasses and his golden hair was the dark brown of that one person who Kyoko was scared that he was attempting to be seen as. Ren Tsuruga.

She needed to speak to him, she needed to figure out where his mind was. Was this some sick twisted plan in his head that becoming Ren in Japan again would feel like they were travelling back to some weird, warped time. Was that why he had asked her that.

As Kyoko stood there stunned, Kuo…n put a hand to his forehead and looked up at her, "You ha…te it," he said slowly and carefully. His words now came out about 90% normally but he still had to think of _what_ he wanted to say.

"No, sweetheart, I don't," Kyoko tried to smile through the pain that came from seeing him do this. She didn't want to cause him to have an reflection of this disappointment and she would try her best to deceive him with her acting skills. "Kuo—"

"I'm still Kuon," he said slowly and Kyoko smiled in relief as she brushed away some tears from her eyes. She looked at him and walked over to him. She knew that he spoke more slowly than he had before the brain injury but the therapists had thought that over time he would become himself again, it had been a one-percent possibility of him recovering this way, fortunately, Kuon was the one in a million, the .0001 percent.

"I'm so thankful for that," Kyoko said as she put a hand on his cheek, "I guess I can cope with this but promise me that you'll consider going back to the natural you when your roots start showing," she told him as she remembered how they had first been a couple and she had loved seeing him when he looked like a younger version of the man in front of her.

Kyoko paused, she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side as Kuon stared at her.

"What?" he asked and Kyoko hummed.

"Well, it's just that you really must have fairy ancestors because you don't look much older than before you dyed your hair in Japan to blond. I mean, it looks like a few years have passed but you look very young," she knelt down opposite him in the grass. "I love you," she said as he nodded, "I'm so excited to be moving back to Japan."

"I….am too," Kuon said before looking at her belly, "hop-opefully soon…..I ccan help with the….pregnancy."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Kyoko winked. She placed a hand on her belly and smiled as she thought about the six months of pregnancy they had left to get through. "I've got a secret though and I hope that you'll be able to cope with it."

"I'll do my…best" Kuon said with a weak smile and Kyoko closed her eyes.

"When I went to my doctor's appointment last week but you weren't able to come," she saw the guilt reflect in his eyes, "please don't look like that," she whispered as she leaned over to kiss his lips again and wipe a thumb over his cheek. "I can't tell you," she said as she kissed his shoulder. "I'm so sorry but I need to look into _your_ eyes when I say this,"

Kuon nodded and took out a contact case before switching the colored contacts for his usual prescription, Kyoko smiled as she gazed into those emerald eyes. She loved that color of green, it made her immediately happy whenever she would see that exact shade. She took a deep breath in and then smiled, "I'm pregnant," she told him as he waited, "with twins."

Kuon grinned and laughed a little as he heard her say that. He smiled as he reached out to touch _her_ __cheek, "That's…amazing."

"No, Kuon, _you're_ amazing," Kyoko said as she pressed her head into his knee and he let his hand run through her hair. "You've done so so much work on healing through the brain injury. I would have taken care of you no matter what state you were in, well if I was thinking clearly, but you have done so much more than anyone thought possible. You're healing so well. I know that it'll take time but you'll soon go back to being the best actor and…and I'll be there beside you and it's because of you that we're going to be having two new wonderful children to be siblings to the wonderful child we already have. Thank you."

Kuon looked at her and smiled softly, thoughtfully.

"I have….someone to…keep me loo-oking…forward," he told her before tapping his lap and waiting for her to sit on top of him. He grinned before he wheeled himself towards the house. Kyoko cuddled into his chest. Soon they would start their lives in Japan again and hopefully Kuon would be able to heal there and get back into doing what he really loved and that meant she could do what _she_ loved most.

Being a devoted and loving wife and mother.

She would never have admitted to that when she was sixteen.

 **End of Chapter Sixty**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Individual thank yous will resume next chapter but really thank you so much for everyone who reached out, it made me feel a lot better. Thank you.**


	61. Chapter 61 - First Class

**AN:** I hope you enjoy this chapter, not much happens but I hope you enjoy it regardless

 **Chapter Sixty One – First Class**

Kyoko smiled as she let her head rest on Kuon's shoulder whilst they sat in the first class seats. They had originally booked business class so that there would be three seats in the middle and Isabella could sit between them but Kuu had insisted that they change seats because he thought Kuon would feel more comfortable in first class where they could accommodate his wheelchair.

Bella had agreed to travel with her grandparents and that meant that Kyoko could enjoy first class accomodations with Kuon.

Kyoko smiled as she held her husband's hand and turned her head to the side, her eyes questioning him. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked as she ran her thumb over the back of his hand. "We didn't need to sell the house. I know that you love it and…"

"Are you…..worried about….Yashiro?" Kuon asked, his words coming out at the same speed as someone who had just run a sprint race. Kyoko knew this was probably from his nerves but the fact that he sounded that healthy made her feel at least a little relieved. It meant that he wasn't hurting _too_ badly.

"No, not at all, but if you wanted to stay in that house then we don't have to sell it," Kyoko told him and Kuon shook his head.

"Too big," he told her and Kyoko sighed. She had to admit that the house was incredibly big, too big for a family of three and possibly too big for a family of five. She was happy they had chosen a house in Japan that would be able to accommodate five of them. She couldn't wait to see the twins or to find out their genders and she just hoped that they wouldn't be two girls. If there were two girls then Bella might feel as if she were being overshadowed, hopefully at least one of them would be a little boy with a stunning resemblance to his daddy.

Kyoko looked outside the window but could only see clouds and so she quickly shut it, the light bothering her a little. "Do you want to watch something on the TV with me?" she asked and Kuon looked at her with a smile. He nodded and Kyoko turned on _his_ screen, putting her earphones into the second spot on his side.

"Let's see," she smiled before her eyes lit up and she had the cursor on top of the words which always made her feel so much excitement: _Dark Moon_. "Can we watch?" she asked as she kissed his neck. She didn't want to trigger him or make him feel unworthy compared to his previous self. She always would see him as a strong and capable actor.

"Sure," Kuon agreed and Kyoko started playing the first episode, moving in as close as she could to her husband.

"I love you so much," she whispered to him and Kuon took her hand, squeezing it in his own.

"I love you too," he said before they focused in on the first episode.

….

….

" _Are you going to be okay with her, darling?" Julie asked as she let her fingers roam through Kuon's hair. This would be their last few moments in Japan and it was very difficult traveling with a baby even in the best circumstances. Kuon had just lost his wife. Julie looked at Kuu wondering what to do. The president had said that he had a friend with a private plane that they were able to use but Kuon had protested, saying that it was too much money and that he could cope._

 _Julie hated to admit it but she wondered if that claim was actually true._

" _One of us can sit with you whilst the other takes care of Isabella," Kuu tried to persuade his son. He hated seeing him so depressed like this, he could only imagine the pain and heartache that he would feel if he were to lose Julie. He didn't want to think of that as even a possibility until they were in their golden years._

" _She'll be fine," Kuon said and Kuu hesitated. He was trying to let Kuon do what he needed to do as a father but he was worried about him breaking in the air. When they were up there it would be a tight space without access to health services or psychiatric resources. Travelling with a kid was stressful but it was something that both he and Julie had been through._

 _Kuon had always seemed so excited, even as a very young baby, to be in the air though. It might not be the same with Isabella despite this being the second time that she would have flown to America._

" _We have experience, my love," Julie told him as she placed a hand on his shoulder which made him start shaking and Julie looked desperately at Kuu for some help. Kuu looked between them._

" _Do you want one of us to take her?" he asked his son, "stop trying to think of the way to be the best parent and think about yourself and only yourself right now. Do you feel capable of taking care of Isabella during the flight?" Kuon paused before shaking his head, letting out a heavy exhale. "Who do you want to -"_

 _Kuon turned to Julie, "Mom, do you think that you could take care of her?" he asked and Julie nodded._

" _Of course," she took the little baby from him, "Of course I will," she repeated as Kuu wrapped an arm around the back of Kuon's shoulders to tell him that he was there for him._

…..

…..

Kuon sighed and closed his eyes as the third episode ended and Kyoko pressed pause on the remote. She smiled at the man that she loves with her whole heart and kissed him. "How about we take a break?" she asked as she let her hand caress his cheek lovingly. "I think the meal is going to be in about an hour so why don't you get some rest?" she asked and she saw Kuon's nervous expression.

"Come on, sweetheart," Kyoko said as she moved the chair back for him so that he was sleeping and then moved hers the same amount before throwing the blanket over the two of them. "I need some sleep too," she smiled, "Having two babies inside of me is hard work," she teased him and Kuon nodded. He closed his eyes and then opened them to look at her as she gazed into the emerald eyes.

"I love you," he said, his exhaustion showing in the words and Kyoko nodded. She moved forward so that she could nuzzle his neck and then press her face into his chest. He took deep breaths and after about ten minutes had fallen asleep. Kyoko tucked him in and then looked up as she saw three people staring at the two of them.

"Hello?" she asked as she smoothed down Kuon's hair hoping that these strangers wouldn't wake him up. "Can I help you?"

"[Can I get your autograph?]" a girl said, "[You're Kuon and Kyoko Hizuri, right?]" she asked and Kyoko looked at her painfully before looking down at Kuon.

"[I'd be happy to do so later but my husband needs his rest. I've heard that the incident with his head injury was reported on in Japan,]" she whispered in Japanese. She saw a person taking pictures of him and she glared at them. "[Please respect his space,]" she said as fire burned in her eyes. She didn't want for them to take advantage of him, he had been through so much. He wasn't their pet.

Fortunately the people decided to go away and leave them in peace but Kyoko was starting to wonder about the Japanese society of which she had left. She had thought people would be more respectful of him and what he had been through. They weren't some tourist attraction and she was worried about what was awaiting them when they came to Japan.

She wanted some reassurance that things would be okay. Yashiro and Hana had said that they would be there at the beginning of the next year and that meant that Kuon would be without his best friend but they still had Lory who was considered a second father in some ways to Kuon though Kuu didn't like to hear that.

She just hoped that everything would be okay and that Kuon really could get better. She hoped that he would recover and she really hoped that being close to where they had met and fallen in love would help motivate him to keep trying as hard as he already was. She looked at a recent picture of the three of them posing together with Kuon holding Bella on his lap.

She really hoped that they were making the best decision for their family.

…

….

Narita was packed. There had obviously been a lot of people who showed up for when celebrities came to the country but this was unprecedented; however, Kyoko didn't feel as if it was un-presidented. There were lots of people who had come to see them arrive, the famous Hizuri family, and Kyoko was worried that all of this commotion would be a harmful trigger to her husband. They were waiting for their bags at this point, although the people who had seen them into the country had wanted to see if Kuon would give _them_ special attention and there were many people who wanted Kyoko's picture or autograph as well. Since they had gotten off at different times, Kyoko hadn't spotted Kuu or Julie through the amazed fans but she thought that she would find them.

Kyoko was watching the bags coming to the belt as she held onto the back of Kuon's chair and then her eyes lit up as she saw one of them. "I'll be right back, my sweet Corn," she said before going to grab it. Her eyes widened as she saw a woman grab in and then hang onto it as if it were a life raft.

"[Excuse me,]" Kyoko said with a deep voice, "[That's _my_ bag.]"

"[I'm a huuuuge Ren Tsuruga fan. I want this bag.]" the woman said and Kyoko coughed in amazement. She raised an eyebrow as she tried to hold back her grudges.

"[I'm sorry,]" she said with an over the top smile, "[It doesn't work that way so just give me the bag.]"

The woman looked at her horrified before her eyes lit up and she saw Kuon. Kyoko tried to step in her way so that she wouldn't rush over and crowd Kuon but she needed the bag. Her heart stopped as she felt someone standing behind her and then saw an arm reach out to grab the bag.

Kyoko looked up and grinned at the president feeling incredibly happy that he had somehow managed to sneak into the airport baggage claim without her knowing. "[Thank you,]" she said before bowing respectfully.

"[Thanks boss,]" Kuu said from where he was with Kuon and Julie. "[I'll grab the rest of the bags.]" he said and Lory laughed before smiling to Kuon.

"[Welcome back, Shuuhei, Ren,]" he said and Kyoko could see in his eyes how much he really did love this family.

 **End of Chapter Sixty One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed chapters 58-60**

 **Ashenvale:** Kuon is very strong but he has to believe in his own strength too

 **Erza:** I really hope that I feel better too but it's hard with so much academic and retail work 😉 well they will continue to love each other

 **KrisXD:** I'm happy that you enjoy the story. I'm feeling a little better. Soon the genders will be announced 😊

 **Ktoll9:** He sadly is. He has to recover some more though, Grant took a lot from him

 **Loyalty counts:** I think Kyoko needs to help him see that he can be both Ren and Kuon

 **Paulagato:** I'm not even sure if Kuon is human with how exceptional he is 😉 He may have regrets but now he'll also have Ten 😊

 **Undertheskys:** Lots of happy family moments will be coming up. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well

 **and thanks to those who shared their strength for me overcoming the hurt**

Ashenvale, Erza, Kris XD, ktoll9, Loyalty counts, paulagato, Undertheskys


	62. Chapter 62 - Wanted

**Chapter Sixty Two: Wanted**

The garden was absolutely stunning in their new house. Despite the fact that the crowds at the airport had been huge with people supporting the two of them. People had been respectful of his illness and disabilities, they had adored Bella, and they had asked Kyoko if she would return to acting to which she said that she wanted to be a mother to Kuon and that she was pregnant with twins.

Their return to Japan had created a lot of media buzz and the fact that she was pregnant had caused for even more of it. Everyone was speculating on the babies but people were also concerned if Kuon would be able to handle it. It wasn't as if he was as healthy as when he had had his first child.

Even going through that though, Kuon had survived and now he was sitting in the beautiful garden surrounded by different shaped rocks and bonsai and koi. This was a place where he could perform meditation that would hopefully enrich his life.

He took deep and stabilizing breaths before seeing Kyoko come out of the kitchen area with two cups of tea and some traditional snacks on a tray. She walked over to him and then smiled, "Come sit with me?" she asked as she gestured to the bench, returning to speaking Japanese though she would attempt to speak English and Japanese around Bella until she was used to communicating with them in the Eastern language.

Kuon smiled at her, "Of course," he said before wheeling himself over to where the two of them could sit down with the tray positioned between them. Kyoko smiled as she saw him reach for the tea and drink it slowly. She was afraid it was too hot, afraid that it would trigger him somehow. She kept studying him but he remained calm.

"I love it here," she said as she stretched her arms out, "How are you feeling about it?"

"Scared…" Kuon said before pausing, "but good."

"I'm glad," Kyoko grinned happily. She kissed him quickly but affectionately on the lips. "I think it's nice that there's all this greenery around us. I know that you love nature. Is it okay that the house is smaller now we know there are going to be five of us?"

"I think we….have…the room," Kuon said as he thought about each and every word.

"Me too," Kyoko smiled as she thought about how happy and relieved she had been that there was enough room for Kuon to get around in his wheelchair. "Oh and I wanted to ask you something," she said and Kuon smiled.

"I have….something for….you too," he said and Kyoko hummed.

"Do you want to tell me what you're thinking first?" Kyoko asked and Kuon smiled weakly before looking up at the trees around them. He wasn't sure how Kyoko would react so he wasn't sure how to explain his plan.

"I…I said yes….to an….interview," he told her and Kyoko froze. She tried to keep her face free of emotion but there was a slight panic in her eyes. She didn't know if she wanted him to be interviewed especially on TV. She was worried that people would laugh at him and that would slow his progress due to emotional pain. She wasn't ashamed of him, she was proud to be with him and proud to be his wife but she was scared about the reaction from the audience.

"Oh," she said not knowing how else to respond.

"It's on…Kimag—gure," he said and Kyoko nodded with a weak smile. At least that was better than just finding some random interviewer who would try to take advantage of him for the ratings. However, she was tempted to call them up even though they were much older as well and ask them to go easy on him. She knew that Hikaru would keep things under control but she wondered if she would be able to pose as Bo so as to keep an eye on everything.

"Maybe I should attend the show," she said and Kuon shook his head. "We've done interviews together in the past."

"I think…it's best…to fight alone," Kuon replied and Kyoko bit her lip again.

How could she argue against this? She couldn't tell him not to do it but she was truly worried what might happen to him. She wanted to know if the president knew about this, most likely since it was within LME, but was he risking too much by Kuon's appearance.

"Okay, but promise me that if anything happens you'll let them know. They can accommodate you if you're honest with them," she attempted to tell him and Kuon nodded slowly.

"What were…you goi-" Kuon asked, stopping mid sentence and Kyoko looked down.

"I asked Taisho and Okami-san if we could go round to the restaurant for dinner. I mean, I…they asked me to go to lunch and I thought that dinner would be better. We don't even need to sit in the restaurant area, we can go to my old room but they wanted to see us. If you're not comfortable then we don't have to go, we'll be able to go at another time."

Kyoko looked down. Had she made too many plans? Would this exhaust her husband? Just because she was excited to see people didn't meant that Kuon would be ready to. However, if he was ready to do an interview then he might be able to see people who were like family to him. She hated to admit it but since Kuon was so concerned about improving, he hadn't seemed as depressed or suicidal. It was a thin sliver of a silver lining but at least it was there.

"We…" Kuon said as Kyoko leaned in to wait for his reply, "can go."

"Great," Kyoko smiled before hugging him. "Thank you, my sweet Corn."

…

…

They had decided to go to the Daruma-ya as just the two of them. Isabella was of course welcome but Kyoko had felt that it would be easier for just them as a couple to approach this situation. As they stood outside the front of the restaurant, Kyoko smiled at her husband and ran her fingers through his brown hair. She was happy that he wasn't wearing his color contacts, maybe his hair would go back to blond soon. Maybe he would be able to grab onto that self-confidence again.

Kyoko slowly opened the door, holding it so Kuon could roll himself in first before she closed it. She heard Okami-san welcome them in before Taisho looked up with a smile on his face at seeing the two of them. Okami-san rushed towards the two of them first.

"Welcome home," she said as she threw her arms around Kyoko and then she turned to look at Kuon. The wheelchair-bound, temporarily-retired actor looked at her and noticed that she had tears in her eyes from looking at him. She looked at Kyoko for a moment as her mouth opened before turning back to Kuon.

"I'm so glad to see you again, Kuon-kun," she said as a few of the patrons turned around. Kyoko smiled as she recognized two of them who had been coming there for ten years and waved at her energetically. "Are you feeling okay? We didn't know if there were special accommodations that we needed and I did ask Kyoko but is there anything that you need?" she asked and Kuon smiled.

"No I'm…okay," he told her and Okami-san smiled.

"You're speaking better than I would expe-" she said before covering her mouth with both of her hands and then began to bow repeatedly. "I am so sorry. I ask for your forgiveness for saying that. I didn't mean to cause any harm or pain to you. I am so sorry," she said and Kuon shook his head.

"Don't worry….the docct-ors were….imprres-ssed as well," he said and Okami-san looked at him with a grin.

"Do you need help upstairs?" she asked and Kyoko shook her head. She placed a hand on Kuon's shoulder not really sure if it was to help boost his confidence or preserve hers.

"No, it's okay. I can help hi-"

"Let's sit….down here," Kuon told her and Kyoko looked around. They were very conspicuous here and she worried that it would be painful for Kuon to be around so many people who were so interested in him and his condition.

"Are you sure?" Kyoko asked as she leaned down to be at his level. After he nodded, Kyoko looked at Okami-san who led them to a table in the corner as some of the other patrons watched.

Once they were settled she grinned to them. "Your food will be ready in just a few moments," she told them before looking around at the people who were observing the two of them with heightened interest. "Please don't stare at our guests," she told them, "these are family, honored guests, please do not stare at them," she said before bowing to show that it was more of a request than an order.

Kuon looked at her surprised but Kyoko reached out to take his hand.

"She said that because she does really care about you. I'm sure that both Okami-san and Taisho care about you as if you were their own son, they've always treated me as a daughter and I'm honored that they see me that way," she said before holding his hand and grinning. "Thanks for coming here," she told him and he nodded again.

"Kyoko," he said before picking up her hand to kiss the back of it, "I love you."

"I love you too," Kyoko quickly replied. "With all of my heart and there are so many other people who love you and want you to be the best you. We accept you, we love you, we want you to be with us," she tried to remind him with a smile. She hoped one day he would truly understand just how much she needed him in any form, with any illness or disability. She just needed her daily dose of Kuon Hizuri.

 **End of Chapter Sixty Two**

 **Thank you so much for continuing to read my work**

 **Hopefully you don't see me in a bad light, I really wish that you don't**

 **Thank you to reviewers of Chapter Sixty One**

Erza: It'll be a surprise 😊 I'm doing alright I guess. I wish other people didn't tell lies about me though but I have to forgive her and myself and move on and hopefully one day she can find it in her guarded heart to forgive me too

Underthesky: Glad you like the update. This was really a Kuon-Kyoko chapter but there will be things with Bella as well.


	63. Chapter 63 - That Rooster

**Chapter Sixty Three – That Rooster**

Kyoko held the rooster head in her hands and grinned as she looked up at Hikaru. He was now thirty-three but it felt as if she was with her older brother. Despite the fact that her spending time with most men made Kuon a little jealous or at least uncomfortable, Hikaru – as well as Shiniichi and Yuusei – was one of those men who Kuon supported the friendship of between him and Kyoko. That was why Kyoko was glad that he was accepting of her as she was now.

"Are you sure that it's okay with you if I do this?" she asked and Hikaru gave her a thumbs-up.

"Course it is, you're the best Bo in history," he said with a grin, "I'll do everything on my side as well. This isn't going to be harder than when we had that drunk senior actress on the show. She came on with her wig not straight on and it was a complete disaster."

"I can imagine," Kyoko laughed as she slid on the Bo costume, "and you promise me that you won't tell anyone our secret?" she asked and Hikaru nodded.

"Of course, and maybe you can help me with something, do _me_ a little favor?" he asked and Kyoko paused. She nodded and he smiled again, "Can we double date with me and my wife and you and Kuon, or just the two of us could spend time together."

Kyoko nodded happily before putting the head on, "I'll check with Kuon but at least one of those will definitely happen," she gestured with her wing to the backstage areas, "I should get back there and hopefully they won't put me in a cage."

"No badminton, okay?" Hikaru tried to joke and Kyoko shook her head.

"I think that'd be cheating, you do realize he's still trying to get full use of his legs however this _might_ be the only time that I can win against him," she joked back and Hikaru nodded.

"I am so thrilled for you to be back," Hikaru told her honestly, "In all of the ways that you can be back."

"Me too," Kyoko said before she disappeared into the darkness.

…

…

Hikaru went to Shiniichi and Yuusei who were talking together back stage. Each of the three of them had done some solo work over the past twelve years as well as some guest appearances as a trio. However, their talk show was always the thing that they enjoyed doing most. Today was no different.

"Listen," Hikaru said softly, "Don't go too fast, don't pressure him, try to stay calm and give him respect. We're really lucky that he said yes to us and with his condition, we have to honor him and his work. You guys agree?"

"Of course," Yuusei and Shinichi said so in unison.

"He's still Kuon Hizuri despite the head injury," Yuusei grinned.

"Exactly," Hikaru smiled, "And I know that he's going to want to continue acting so we have to show him in a way where his fans love him and he will feel happy to come back. He's one of the greatest actors to have ever worked in Japan and he's an Oscar winner. If we keep him happy then he'll come back and talk with us in the future."

"Right, leader," the other two grinned with playful salutes before the three of them did a group high five.

…

…

As the show started, the three Ishibashis did the introduction and then Kuon rolled himself on to face the screams of excitement from the fans who were excited to have him back. Hikaru immediately stood up to give him room, his eyes showing that he cared about the man who was younger than him. "Hi, welcome. It's such an honor for us to have you on the show," he said and Yuusei nodded as well.

Kuon smiled softly before looking down, "Thank you….for accomm-odatt-ing me," he said and Hikaru smiled.

"You make it sound like a hard thing and it really wasn't," Hikaru grinned.

"We're all really excited to hear about what you were working on before the…incident," Yuusei said and Shiniichi leaned forwards.

"I can't believe you survived getting pushed from that roof," he said and Hikaru smiled uncomfortably. He looked back at his cohost wondering what the benefits were of bringing that up. He then turned back to Kuon who gave a solemn nod.

"I….I…yeah," he said and Hikaru opened his mouth to see Bo with his arms folded watching them. "Let's most on from that unless…unless it's something that you'd like to discuss."

"I love…my wife," Kuon said as Hikaru looked at him confused, "the man who…ppushed me…wanted her."

"Sounds like classic Hollywood," Shiniichi laughed attempting to make a joke there and Kuon smiled before nodding.

"I mean you hear about all of these extramarital affairs in that country," Hikaru said, "but -"

"Kyoko is a…loyal wife….i love her," Kuon said and Hikaru leaned forwards before hearing the squeak of rooster feet as Bo entered the set. Bo turned towards them before seeing Kuon looking at 'him' and studying the costume and the movements.

Hikaru looked at Bo before seeing the familiar eggs with questions in them and he had to catch himself from smiling at how it looked like most of the audience submitted questions had been looked through and checked before the basket was brought out. Kyoko really loved her husband and Hikaru felt happy to see that she was guarding him so protectively.

"So, the first question here is….what project were you working on most recently?" Hikaru asked and Kuon looked ahead of him.

"A superhero….movie…..the green arrow," he said slowly and Yuusei grinned.

"I've heard about this. It's from the same company who made Batman and Superman but it's a lesser known character," he said as Shinichi and Hikaru looked over at him. "I did some research as well. It seems that you did a subtitle track in Japanese as well whilst you were shooting it," that made the audience show even more excitement. "That's going to be amazing."

"So was there a lot of CGI in the movie?" Shinichi asked to which Kuon shook his head, "I mean with all of those stunts."

"I…was able….to do that," he said as Bo held his head up in pride and then as Bo saw the way Kuon was looking at him realized that Kuon knew exactly who had taken up the Bo mantle and was portraying the character behind his feathers.

"That's captivating," Shiniichi remarked, "It makes me feel excited just to be able to witness it and I'm sure that you'll be able to heal enough in order to do that again," he said and Kuon looked down seeming a little depressed. "You have to, you're an amazing actor and person."

"Maybe," Kuon replied with a small smile.

Yuusei looked down, "I'm sure that you will. If you look at documentaries about people who have sustained brain injuries from stunts and sports, you'll find that they haven't healed as much as you have. You're truly an inspiration to me, Hizuri-san," he said, "And I'm sure to all of us as well."

"Well, what are your upcoming plans," Hikaru asked and Bo straightened in posture as he slowly looked over to the actor.

"I plan…on heal-ing….gett-ing…be-tter…" Kuon said as Kyoko tried hard to be patient but she felt one of her wings turning into a fist in case somebody took the opportunity to hurt him. "being…a father….and workkki—ng with-…. In the actti—ng fi-field," he managed to get out and after he did that a few of the women in the audience stood up each calling out to him.

"You can do it Kuon-sama!"

"We believe in you!"

"We know you have your inner strength!"

Kyoko turned to them and was able to stop the tears that had formed in her eyes. She saw the support and love that he had and she felt her heart starting to heal. She smiled at the audience and bowed her head, happy that he was getting better and growing stronger.

After the part of the show with Kuon had ended, Kyoko whispered a thank you and then waited until the end of the show to go and put back her Bo uniform. She felt so proud of her husband for being able to conquer his fear and give an interview. She was so happy that he still had his fans cheering him on including her.

As she walked over to the dressing room, she saw that the brunette in the wheelchair was still waiting for her. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her and Kyoko looked away as if pretending that she hadn't noticed him.

"Feel—ing ane…mic?" he asked her with a joking tone and Kyoko looked at him.

At this point she couldn't handle it any longer and cried big messy sobs as she looked at him. She slowly put her wings to her head and took it off with her face a mix of emotions, however her smile showed that she was so incredibly happy and proud to be with him.

"Kyo-kko?" Kuon asked nervously before seeing the big rooster body come to him to hug him. "What?"

"I'm so…you're so amazing. You did it, you managed to do an interview," she said before trying to rub away her tears with her wings. "You…they wanted to keep you in a facility and you just did a live television broadcast. I am so happy and so….I love you so much," she told him and Kuon bowed his head.

"Only be-cause of…you," he told her and Kyoko shook her head.

"You did it because of _you_ , just like you'll be able to act again because there's no stopping you and that's why I love you so much, Corn," she told him as she let her hand go through his brown hair. Even if he was looking more like Ren these days, she just saw Kuon and her thoughts went back to Guam where she had thought 'oh Tsuruga-san looks awfully good with blond hair and green eyes.' She still thought that but even with the darker hair and eye color, she would always see him with blond hair and green eyes. That was just what Kuon looked like to her.

….

….

Two weeks later, Kyoko was pacing from side to side in front of the hospital. She had recently had to buy new maternity clothes since she couldn't fit into a lot of her old clothes and she was starting to remember the exhaustion that she had when she had been carrying Bella. She was about to learn the gender of their twins and Kuon was getting driven here by Kuu since apparently he had something that he needed to discuss with the president.

Over the last week, Kuon had been telling her that he was talking to the president and to Matsushima-san about something that he was planning on doing at LME, something within his capabilities. Kyoko hated the idea of Kuon working at all, she wanted him to be there with her and at her beck and call but maybe that was expecting a little too much. She just knew that she would miss him and worry over him if he was sent away.

As she saw Kuu's car drive up, she felt her breath draw in and tried to keep her composure. She needed to try to maintain a sense of calm and control the excitement of being able to plan her new future. She saw the door open and her breath stopped as she saw a blond wheelchair-bound actor with piercing emerald eyes that flashed a burnt sienna for a moment. She ran forward.

Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones but she had really missed _looking_ at her husband.

 **End of Chapter Sixty Three**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Sixty Two**

Erza: Thanks. One of the things that you should know about me is that I have one of the lowest self esteems out there. I feel guilty taking pride in things and I would never ever look down upon anyone - aside from politics but enough said. I'm glad you thought it was adorable

Kris XD: Aww thank you, hearing those words makes me happy :) although I appreciate all my readers, I always feel a spark of joy when I see your name appear. hope that isn't too creepy or weird ;)

Ktoll9: I'm sorry about that, I think I got confused because it said I wasn't allowed to PM you. I never mean any harm to anyone

Paulagato: Definitely, me too 😊 I hope that they are able to experience happiness in Japan

Undertheskys: Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter then 😊


	64. Chapter 64 - Little Babies

**AN:** This chapter is a little shorter. Today I guess I'll find out if my job is letting me go for having a breakdown and feeling suicidal. I hope they don't but you never know. I'm hoping for some luck.

 **Chapter Sixty Four – Little Babies**

Kyoko stared at the sonogram as she lay on her back with Kuon at her hand and holding her hand. She looked over at him, happy to see her husband in his natural form. She loved him no matter what. Even if he had turned into the Disney beast, she would love him. Even if he hurt her intentionally, she would love him. Was that stupid? The way that she cared so much about him to the point where she wouldn't care if he hurt her. No. He would never ever hurt her.

"Kuon?" she asked as she saw him enchanted by the picture on the screen.

"Those…are our children," he said with a much clearer manner although he still spoke rather slowly to concentrate on each of the sounds. Kyoko nodded as she saw the longing way he had to see their babies.

"Yes, they are," she said before looking up at the doctor.

"You two would like to know the sex of the babies, correct?" she asked and Kuon nodded, looking at Kyoko and waiting for her response.

"Yes," Kyoko smiled, "We do want to know."

"They are both little boys," the doctor told them before pointing out the details on the screen. Kyoko felt a rush of relief. She would have been happy to have daughters but she was happier that she had sons, she would have even gone for one of each because it would make things easier on Bella. She squeezed Kuon's hand as she noticed that blinding smile on his face.

"Those are….our sons," he said and Kyoko took his hand and brought it to her lips.

"Our little boys," Kyoko said before seeing Kuon direct his smile at her but fortunately she had learned ways of it not blinding her over their years together. It was always harder, admittedly, with his natural hair and eye color.

"You're happy, right?" he asked and Kyoko felt tears in her eyes and she reached for her large belly.

"Ecstatic. I'm hoping that they are just like their daddy," she said before looking at the doctor. "Is there anything else that we need to know? Anything that you can see on there that we can't?"

"You mean as far as their health?" she guessed on what Kyoko was asking for. The mother gave a shaky nod and the doctor grinned again, "No. They look very very healthy. I'll give you two some pictures to take home."

"There's no…. way of t-ttelling…. if they are…. identical?" Kuon asked and the doctor shook her head.

"You'll have to wait to see that when they are born and even then we can't know for certain," she said and Kyoko grinned to Kuon. She knew that the two of them would want to tell the good news to Kuu and Julie but most importantly Bella. She wondered if Bella would be happy to have twin brothers having been raised as an only child. She hoped that she would. Kyoko grinned again. She had felt disappointed that she hadn't been able to raise her daughter and play with her when she was different ages. It would have been nice to have raised a girl but she also kept imagining twin Corns.

She smiled. It didn't matter what gender or sex they were. Boys and girls often had different personalities and she couldn't help but to become excited thinking about what the personalities of her sons would be. She really did hope that they would turn out like their father - well, no offense to Kuon, but she hoped they didn't share his depression. She didn't mind looking after Kuon but she knew that the two of them wanted for the boys to have happy and fulfilling lives. Kyoko only hoped she was enough for Kuon to have that too.

…

…

Ever since they had got to Japan, Bella had been a little quieter than she had in America. She had learned to develop more trust – not total trust – but some trust in her mother. She still missed the time when she would spend with her father before the attack. He might be trying but it never really felt the same to her. She was currently painting a picture of some flowers that Kuon had bought for Kyoko when the two had gone shipping together.

Hearing the door open, she got up and looked over at her grandfather who put the script he was reading down, covering it with his jacket. She stood up and smiled as she watched her mother help get the wheelchair into the house despite her large belly.

"Did you find out?" Bella asked excitedly and Kyoko nodded.

"Yeah…we have….pictures as well," Kuon said before seeing Kuu come and greet them. He nodded to his father before rolling himself into the living room, waiting for Kyoko to follow behind him.

"It was a great experience," Kyoko said as she hung her jacket up. "Did you want to see the sonogram, Father?" she asked and Kuu nodded.

"You'd better start calling me Kuu again," he winked, "after all, the most important father in this house is in there," he gestured to the living room and Kyoko smiled as well. Once they had sat down, Kyoko took the folder out of her bag and slipped the sonograms out. "So, this is them, they are both little boys," she grinned and Isabella's face lit up with excitement.

"That's great!" she said happily, "That means that I'm the only gir-"

She had been told by Kuon to try not to use such abruptness and directness when talking about these adult matters that she didn't really understand. She had learned from her new friends that Japan was a much quieter, much more reserved place than America and even at home she didn't want to stand out too much. She bowed her head before feeling Kyoko kneel down next to her. Kyoko opened her arms and Bella went to hug her.

"Yes, you're the only little girl, our only daughter," Kyoko said as she kissed the girl's blonde hair, "You will just have two little brothers to play with," she said and Bella smiled at that. "You'll have to be a good sister and set a good example for them."

"I'll be the best sister ever," Bella announced and Kuon smiled, looking at Kyoko again before turning to Bella.

"We're going to….need your…help on pi—cking….out th-things…..for them," he said and Kyoko placed a hand on his knee, rubbing it supportively. Bella nodded again.

"I was hoping for brothers," she said and Kyoko nodded.

"I know," she told her daughter, understanding what she was saying. "I know you were."

….

…

Two weeks later, Kyoko lay with her arm over her nearly six month pregnant belly. It was coming close to the time of Isabella's birthday and Kyoko was wondering how they could make her birthday as special as possible whilst everything else was happening. She sighed and tried to snuggle over to her husband. "Hey," she said with her head on his chest. "You have your meeting with Lory soon, right? This afternoon?"

"Yes," Kuon nodded with a smile, "a new j—ob," he said before moving to the side of the bed. "Just one mome—" he started before Kyoko looked at him confused. Was he trying to roll away from her. She quickly sat up and watched him not sure whether to be over protective of him or just be an observer. She still couldn't help the fear that he would get hurt or his condition would worsen.

"I've put something to-together," he said and Kyoko nodded as she watched him.

Her heart paused for a moment as she saw him pull himself up onto the walker that he was meant to be practicing with. He had only been using it for a week so she was worried that he might fall and hurt himself and hinder his recovery.

"I'll go slow," he smiled to her before shuffling over to the desk and picking up a book. Kyoko leaned forwards to try to see what it was and she blinked with curiosity in her eyes. She couldn't help but be amazed by him. In early June, the doctors had been saying that he was going to need to be put into a treatment facility and that he might never walk and he would never be the same. Now, in late August, not only was he speaking but his words showed more of his inner self. Not only was he able to interact with her but he was able to move across the room with assistance.

In less than three months he had gone from someone with traumatic brain injury to someone who could live an everyday life. Yes, he needed help with things and he wouldn't be able to live by himself but she was witnessing how hard he was fighting.

"Didn't the doctors say that in a few months you'll be able to work again?" Kyoko asked and Kuon laughed.

"Sh-short proj-jects," he said before bringing her over the book and Kyoko had to hold back from putting him back into the bed herself. She couldn't believe how he had struggled and pushed through all of this and done things that nobody thought that he could do.

"That's amazing," Kyoko said honestly, "although I would like you to be here with me and our three children," she saw Kuon's smile and then he handed her the book which showed pictures of Isabella when she was a baby and toddler. There were also pages copied out of the baby journal that he had kept during those years.

Kyoko took it and looked through the different pages, seeing pictures of a younger Kuon and a toddler Isabella together. He really did look like the ideal dad but still Kyoko could see that sadness in his eyes. He had always tried hard for her benefit, always wanted to take care of her.

"Let's do this next one together…or next two since they'll be different from one another and so their development will be different," Kyoko smiled and Kuon grinned.

"Definitely. I'll be…looking…forward to it," he said before kissing her passionately and Kyoko wrapped her arms around him. She just wished with all of her heart that nothing else would go wrong.

 **End of Chapter Sixty Four**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Sixty Three**

H-Nala: Yes, they are getting to a good place and it was supposed to feel OoC at that point so thank you 😊 I was hoping to give a jarring feeling to the reader

Kris XD: Thank you, there are still so many things I need to work on with my writing but that is mainly accomplished by reading and experience 😊

Ktoll9: I want this to end too. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter

Paulagato: Linda? I think Kuon looks better with blond hair 😉


	65. Chapter 65 - Demon Beagle

AN: First of all, things seem to be going okay at my job so I have my fingers crossed. Also, I love the original character that I created for Bella and know her better than anyone but I was scared to use her because she offended others. I hope to be able to use her soon.

 **Chapter Sixty Five – Demon Beagle**

Kyoko smiled as she saw an article about Kuon in a positive light on the front of a magazine. She picked it up, quickly scanning it with her eyes to try to make sure it was as good as she had thought and put it in her shopping basket. After Bella came home from school, Kyoko was hoping to make one of her favorite meals, she had started bonding with the little girl but Bella was still extremely protective of her daddy.

Kyoko looked around for the ingredients to make the dish and as she went to pick up the meat for the American style burgers, she heard footsteps of someone following her. She blinked before stopping. The footsteps stopped. She must have been imagining things but she looked around anyway. Maybe it was some paparazzo with nothing more interesting to take pictures of.

As she turned back, she took a few steps backwards to see Reino with a person that she didn't recognize. Did this guy actually have friends now? Why was he dressed in the same punk way that he had before. Wasn't Beagle Mania or Vie Ghoul finished?

"Excuse me," she said as she decided to turn and walked towards the produce.

"Is that her?" the other man asked. He had spiky black hair with sharp silver highlights, he wore a large coat and boots and looked as shifty as one of those men in alleyways who attempted to sell organs and body parts on the black market. Kyoko wanted nothing to do with them.

"Why are you running away?"Reino asked as he came closer to her and Kyoko felt her body stiffen, "All I want to do is to talk to you."

"You better not talk to me," Kyoko said as she tried to fight the bile that was rising through her body from just being around this creep and his new friend. "If you don't remember, I'm married to -"

"A cripple?" Reino asked before laughing, "You think that that guy has any power over me. He's a brain damaged cripple who can't get out of his wheelchair and you, well -"

"She's fat," the friend said and Kyoko put a hand over her stomach where she was very noticeably pregnant even from a far off distance.

"I'm not fat. I'm expecting his children," Kyoko said with her chin raised up, "and I have the right to ignore you."

"I have the right to take one of those children from you," Reino said as he put his hand on her belly. Kyoko quickly shoved him off, she took a couple of steps back before glaring at him darkly. When he was younger, the way that he would sometimes lurch on her was creepy enough but now that he was older than her by a significant amount, his actions were even creepier.

"Don't you dare touch my sons!" she yelled, not caring that she was drawing attention to herself. She didn't know what power of the occult he had now but she would protect her children. She looked down before pushing him away again.

"You know I have the power to see ghosts and those little grudges you used to have," he said as Kyoko remembered the mini version of herself. She also remembered the fact that _she_ used to be able to hurl anger at people. "Well, in the years since you've been gone I've gained the power to make ghosts with just a touch of my hand, to turn them into demons," he said and Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

"You're lying," she said before feeling him manage to put his hand on her belly again and she kicked him hard in the groin, pushing him backwards and away from her whilst still keeping the basket on her arm. As she walked away though, she felt ill, she really hoped that no damage was done to either one of the little boys inside of her.

…

…

Lory gazed ahead at his second son as they sat having tea in his office. He had to admire Kuon for his strength and how much he had fought to get the life that he definitely deserved. He offered forward a snack but wasn't offended when Kuon turned down the offer. "So," he said as Kuon looked at him. "What I wanted to offer you was a position here at LME." He spoke as if it was another challenge, another Love Me assignment.

Kuon raised an eyebrow skeptically, "You know I'm…..not in perfffect…health," he tried to remind the president and Lory grinned.

"But you're in good enough health to be able to decide whether or not you feel ready to take on this role," he said and Kuon watched him, "Would you like a job in our teaching department?" he asked, "Teaching actors how to….act,"

Kuon sighed and put a hand to his forehead, "Lory, taking…care of Bella….ri-right now is….hard enough …for me to do." He looked up at him as if really asking Lory if he thought he was ready to take care of a class of teenagers. He had trouble doing a lot of everyday tasks still and Lory was presenting him with a task that Kuon had to question why he was offered it when it was outside his capabilities by so much.

"I'm not saying that you are to teach one of our classes, our acting education programs offer more than that and you will be paid well for the position. Are you interested in being an advisor. Watching people act and giving them critique and advice for how to advance their careers?"

Kuon raised an eyebrow, "what?" he asked confused. This was usually something for the more advanced acting teachers or at least it had been Kyoko who had told him that. He hadn't actually taken any of the acting classes being taught mainly the acting style of Kuu Hizuri.

Kuon watched him and then looked down, "what…would I do?" he asked and Lory smiled.

"Well, you could do anything that you wanted," he told his second son, "However, what is usually done in these classes is that people will pay to have someone evaluate a scene that they perform or a couple of scenes and then they will use their experience to offer some advice for how the person should next proceed. Sometimes these lead to two or three sessions but sometimes they are just one. You're able to accept or reject any student but I think that they would all be respectful. After all you are the master," Lory grinned at the man opposite him.

"Was the -" Kuon attempted to argue but Lory shook his head.

"You still are the master," he reminded him before waving his hand, gesturing for him to move on from his worries and doubts. "You absorb the knowledge of acting with ease. You have passion towards your work and I think that everyone thought that you might not make it out of the wheelchair and you're already able to stand up and move across the room with assistance. I have no doubt that once you heal from your wounds, you are going to be the master again and I hope that I live long enough to see it."

Kuon laughed, "Aren't you….immortal?" he joked and Lory hummed.

"I might be that, Kuon. I really might be immortal," he said as he smiled, rubbing his chin as he thought over the idea of an eternal life. It didn't seem like such a great choice to him but he imagined all of the romance games that he could complete if he was.

…

…

Bella looked down at the copy of the pictures of her brothers that her parents had given her. She looked down nervously before trying to sit by herself. Everyone here wanted to know about her parents and she was scared that they wouldn't want to know anything about _her_. She felt that she held importance too but it was always that so and so's mother or father or sister loved one of her parents.

Along with not knowing everything about the language, Bella just wanted to be swallowed up by the ground. However, this was something that made her daddy happy and she wanted him to be happy.

Bella opened her book before seeing something that looked like silver butterflies fly towards her. She blinked hard but saw the butterflies again. They looked like spirits, ghosts….it was enchantingly beautiful.

Bella sat by herself before she heard the trees rustle and she held closer to her book. She was currently reading Alice in Wonderland because it was a book that she and her dad really enjoyed reading together. He always told her that her mother was a lot like Alice whereas Bella felt that she was like Alice.

"Nice book," a man smiled as he approached her, his black hair having highlights of silver in it. Bella looked down before standing up to leave. She would take her book but it was alright to leave the food behind, maybe this guy was a hobo and he just wanted something to eat. They had had them in America and so they probably existed in Japan too.

She looked down and opened her mouth but found that her voice had got caught in her throat and she felt her body turn icy inside almost as if she was being paralyzed. She tried to step away from them but her body wasn't cooperating with her.

"You should always invite your friends to tea, right Alice?" the man said before plucking the book out of her hands. He looked at her and then put a hand to hers as she tried hard to move but something was forcing her to stand still. Angels and demons didn't really exist, right? Then why did her mommy and daddy keep telling her that it was the fairy magic that had led to her mother being alive again.

The black haired man took hold of one of her hands before forcing her to twirl around and around, as she did so, he whispered some words and let his finger run down the back of her neck until she was twirling on her tip toes with her arms as neatly aligned as a ballerina dolls.

She was starting to lose her vision, this was starting to hurt but she had fainted before. She had hurt herself during a soccer match and she had fainted and her dad had become really concerned over her and really protective, this wasn't like that.

She heard someone clapping and then a man with silverlike hair came out, he was around the same age as her dad. He walked over to her before holding her hands and put a hand on top of her head. "You can stop now," he said and Bella felt herself fall over. "Wow, dancing is such a boring thing," he said before looking at her. "Hello, Little Red Riding Hood," he said as Bella stared at him. "You look so much like your mother."

Bella blinked hard and she opened her mouth, "Wh-"

"I'm Reino and I'm inviting you into my wonderland," he said before smiling, "and it's not really an invitation."

 **End of Chapter Sixty Five**

 **Thank you for Reading**

 **Thank you to my reviewers for Chapter Sixty Four**

Kris XD: Thank you. You really are just the sweetest 😊

Ktoll9: My retail job….it looks like they are keeping me. I think that the boys are going to be fun to write 😊

Loyalty counts: That's okay, I hope you enjoy the camp. The Bella thing was a source of….displeasure for some people but I wrote her how I imagine her and don't worry, my stuff isn't top-notch super duper awesome but I do feel like I have a decent handle on writing 😊

PaulaGaTo: Glad that you enjoyed the chapter 😊 I never want babies


	66. Chapter 66 - Highway to Hell

**AN:** I hope you enjoy the twist in this story. Thanks for all of your support 😊

 **Chapter Sixty Six – Highway to Hell**

Kyoko remembered the days when she had been bullied whilst at school as a child. She could remember the painful sensation of feeling as if the world was watching her but she had endured worse pain. She had been raised in a house with a mother who never truly loved her and said she was bad luck. She had taken her wishing to be loved and projected them onto Shotaro, feeling that by acting as characters did in movies and TV shows, she would become happy.

Only Corn had given without it being expected of him. Corn could have run away from her and not listened to her. He didn't have to be there and to comfort her when he saw her. She had never really asked herself the question before because when she was a child she had thought that he had just appeared but how long had Kuon always been sitting there alone in that place. He was there before she had always reached their meeting place and until he had left, he always waved goodbye to her.

How long had Kuon been there by himself?

Kyoko sighed, those weren't the right questions to ask. Although she loved her husband, she needed to concentrate on the emergency happening now. Happening with the daughter that she longed to become close with.

Kyoko arrived at the school and was directed to the nurse's room.

Had there been bullying because she wasn't fully Japanese or because, even with so much Japanese blood, she looked Western apart from if you looked very closely. The shape of her facial features were more like her own than Kuon's but the blonde hair overshadowed them as an eye-catching feature.

Had somebody said something about the way that she spoke? Had she accidentally used some word or phrase wrong that had caused for people to laugh at her or was it actually a physical condition? Had she and Kuon been wrapped up in too many other things to ignore a cold or a headache or stomachache or something. Kyoko walked into the room where the nearly seven-year-old was curled up in a ball on a bed with a blanket shielding her from the world.

"Hi, I'm…" Kyoko said as she gestured to the visitors badge, "I'm here because you told me that Bella needed to go home early," she said as she kept glancing back at her daughter. This wasn't like her but maybe she wasn't really clear on who Bella was even now. It wasn't as if the two of them had been best friends or anything.

"She came back from lunch and she refuses to talk to anyone," the nurse said, "she's thrown up a few times, has a fever, and said she feels a little dizzy. We've run some tests but it might be best to take her to a doctor….and….I'm surprised that you weren't asked about this….have you accidentally hit her recently?" the nurse asked and Kyoko looked at her horrified.

"No, my husband and I take great care to make sure that Bella doesn't get hurt," she said as she felt offended by that remark. She walked over to the bed and put a hand on the blanket. "Princess?" she asked, making sure to use Kuon's name for the two of them, "How are you feeling? I was told that…"

Bella peeked through the blanket and slowly shifted herself so that she was nearer her mother.

"Sweetie, this isn't like you," Kyoko said as she reached out but then saw that there were some deep bruises on Bella's arm. She paused as she looked at the marks. "What are these?" Kyoko asked, her eyes showing the deep shock in them.

"[they]…." Bella sniffed and Kyoko immediately placed all of her focus on her daughter, "[they're….inside…]" she said and Kyoko blinked. She knew that since Bella was speaking in English, these were the words that she was choosing to use but Kyoko had no idea what to think.

"Sweetie," Kyoko began, "What's inside?"

Bella nervously moved the blanket off of her to show that half her face had a heavy bruising that went down her neck. Kyoko's eyes widened as alarm bells started going off in her head. What had happened to the little girl? What was she talking about?

"Why…" Kyoko said as she gently moved Bella as close to her as possible which was hard given the circumstances, "Why was she not taken to a hospital? How did she get these marks?" Kyoko asked as she shielded her daughter protectively.

"He sai-said," Bella shivered as Kyoko felt how cold she was, her body like ice and Kyoko had _had_ some experience with that ice cold sensation, "he….kne-knew…you."

"He knew me?" Kyoko asked before looking at the nurses, "You never thought to ask her these questions?" she said as a fire burned within her eyes. She grew even more protective over her daughter. Who the hell thought it would be okay to just hurt her like this? What did they -

"R-R-re-in-" Isabella got out before vomiting onto the sheet as her whole body shook. Kyoko slowly moved her so that she wouldn't be near the bile, she didn't care that Bella had thrown up on her leg, that could be dealt with later.

"Ren?" the nurse said and opened her mouth, "Could it have been you-"

"Finish that sentence and I'm suing this whole school for deformation of character," Kyoko warned, her want to protect her family was burning inside of her and she wasn't going to let anyone with even half a working brain talk about Kuon as if he would do anything of the kind. Kuon was not the one who hurt her. Why weren't they questioning the staff? Why weren't they figuring out that she came to school and was fine and then she had been at school and something had happened.

Kyoko took some slow breaths, "Bella," she said as she saw the little girl shaking even more, "Was this man's name Reino?" she said and Bella shivered and nodded again. Kyoko pulled her daughter close and Bella let her head rest on top of Kyoko's large belly. "I want this reported to the police," she said whilst kissing her daughter's hair and rubbing her back. "We have to go to the hospital, sweetheart," she said before looking at the nurses. "Full investigation on this. Don't you have a rule about intruders on school property?" she asked before looking at Bella again.

She hoped with all of her heart that her little girl would be okay.

…

…

Almost as soon as Kyoko had called Kuon, Lory had arranged for a car to take him to the hospital. Kyoko knew that compared to Kuon, she was almost nonexistent but she hoped that one day that would change for her. Isabella loved Kuon above everything else, who could blame her? If she had had Kuon as a father then she would have felt the same way.

"Princess," Kuon said as he wheeled himself into the room with a doctor behind him, "Are you….okay?" he asked. Kyoko felt her heart sting as she saw the pain and panic on his face. There was a special bond between the two of us that could never be bro-

"[Go away!]" Bella said painfully as she put her hands over her ears, "[Go away! Leave me alone!]"

"Bella, sweetie, what is it?" Kyoko asked. She looked at her, the bruising had gone down significantly as if it was some kind of allergy but the pain on her face showed. Kyoko looked at Kuon who had paused, staring at the lump in the bed.

"[Bella…are….]" Kuon started but felt himself being cut off.

"[I don't want it near me!]" Bella yelled and Kyoko looked at her unsure of what to say or do. At least Bella could speak in English though. If that was what made her feel more at ease then that was what they would communicate in.

"Bella, what are you talking about? Is it one of those feelings from inside?" she asked before looking at Kuon who was staring at her confused on what to do. Kyoko could see that even though he was having trouble still, he wanted to know what he could do to make this better and to comfort his daughter.

"Bella," Kuon said with the pain showing in his voice, he sighed before moving his wheelchair close enough so that he could find a way to move to the bed. He sat down but found Isabella to flinch before shaking and jumping from the bed. As the blankets fell down into a heap on the ground, Kuon found that his daughter looked horrified of him and terrified of his presence.

Kyoko looked between them in shock seeing the same shock and disbelief on Kuon's face. What was going on here? Isabella and Kuon loved one another so so much, they had supported one another and now it was as if Kuon was the scariest monster that Bella had ever seen. She ran behind Kyoko and tried to hide behind her.

"Bella…" Kuon asked as he looked at her, watching her with pain filled eyes. "[Am I…scar-]" he began but Bella fell onto the ground with her hands over her ears. She started singing a song to block out his words but as soon as she did that, Kuon stopped from speaking.

"[I'll…..give you….some time….to rest,]" he said slowly before getting back into the wheelchair.

Kyoko looked between the two of them, "Kuon?" she asked, "Wait, don't go…we need to figure this out. We need to figure out what is going on here."

"Kyoko….. I love you," Kuon said as Kyoko looked between the two members of her family completely flustered. Why was he telling her this now?

"I….I love you….too," Kyoko told him before feeling a fear inside her. Was this Reino's way of hurting Kuon after all of these years? It was ridiculous, right? Making a child afraid of their father….Reino wouldn't sink that low, would he? Wasn't it fear that had made Reino keep his distance from Ren in the past….Kuon didn't even pose much of a threat with his slow speech and trouble walking even a few feet.

"Please ta-ta-ke….care of her for…. Me," he asked and Kyoko shook her head, taking a step towards her amazing husband. "[Bella,]" Kuon said in English as he made a conscious effort to speak in the softest and most non threatening tone possible, "[I love you…..Daddy will…al-always…love you.]"

Seeing the horror on the little girl's face, Kuon tried to smile through his pain before leaving his family in the hospital room. He hadn't been told about Reino, just that Isabella had been hurt and he had come down without a second thought. She had always run to him before and now she seemed scared to even hear his voice. He must have done something terrible to her without realizing.

"[Rick will never forgive you]" Bella said as Kyoko turned pale and looked between the two people she loved with all her heart. What had gone on with that damn hellbeagle?

…

…

Kyoko had been relieved when Kuu and Julie had come to visit Isabella. Whilst Kuu spent time with his granddaughter, Julie had taken Kyoko to the side and asked her what was going on and why Kuon wasn't there. It didn't seem like him to leave his daughter alone when she needed him. Thankfully, after explaining the story, Kyoko had been able to go home.

She needed to explain all about that stupid beagle and his magical powers and how there had to be some way of curing this because Bella wouldn't know those things, nobody had really told her about Rick other than Kuon saying that he was a friend, he had sadly passed away, and there were pictures of him and Kuon from their childhood.

"Kuon!" Kyoko called as she sprinted into the house, her car keys falling onto the ground. "Kuon, sweetheart!" she called before seeing him sitting in the kitchen and tears filled her eyes. "God, no…"

 **End of Chapter Sixty Six**

KrisXD: Thank you, hope you enjoyed this chapter 😊

Ktoll9: This Kyoko is older though 😊

PaulaGato: Well, their target _isn't_ Bella 😉


	67. Chapter 67 - Hate and Love

**AN:** Sorry I scared you guys in the last chapter 😉 I really hope that I wasn't wrong about being able to keep my job and I get some new hours today. I also need to start on restructuring my day to day so that I can write more fics again, everything seems kind of hectic in my life right now :/

 **Chapter Sixty Seven – Hate and Love**

Kyoko's eyes saw the blood red color on Kuon's sleeve and her heart started pounding. It wasn't until he was looking at her that she started to feel calm and as she rushed to his side she found him to catch one of her arms and she stared at him confused. "Sweetheart," she whispered as her throat began to get dry, "Corn, are you-are you hurt?" she asked and he looked at her.

"Physically or…." He began and Kyoko stared at him. She knew that he was beyond hurt psychologically and emotionally. His daughter had seemed to reject him and then told him something that she shouldn't have any clue about. Kyoko was more worried about the physical.

"Your ar-" she said as she grabbed his sleeve but pulled it up and found no wound underneath, "Your…."

"I bro-kke…that…" Kuon pointed and Kyoko looked down at the carpeted floor where there was glass and half a bottle that used to contain red wine. Kyoko sighed with relief. She knew that Kuon wasn't really supposed to be drinking alcohol with his head injury but having a glass of wine was much less destructive than him hurting himself.

"I'll clean it up," she whispered though the smell was making her feel sick, "other than the broken bottle, you're okay? You didn't hurt yourself?" she asked with tears in her eyes. She looked at him before touching his cheek. "She's under a spell," she tried to explain as he looked at the table, "She doesn't mean it, those words….she's under a spell, Kuon."

"She's….finally seei-nng…the tttru-me," he said as Kyoko knew he was fighting to keep himself from crying and breaking down. He was entitled to have a breakdown though.

Kyoko reached out and took his hand supportively as she sat on a chair next to him despite the broken glass in the carpet. "Corn," she said as she held his hand with both of hers, "She didn't mean that. I know that she loves you. Please stop with this nonsense that that's who you are now. You're a very strong and brave man who gives more than he takes. You know that baby book you gave me with all of those pictures of the two of you together. _That's_ who you are. You're a man who endured a lot of pain in order to take the best care of his daughter, you're a man who turned into an amazing father despite having your own pain during childhood. You kept her safe and without you Bella wouldn't be who she is."

Kuon looked down shakily, not sure if he believed that any more.

"The school, there was an intruder on the ground today, that's how Bella got hurt," she said as she saw Kuon's eyes open in shock and concern, his body turning rigid. "Do you remember….Beagle?" she asked and she saw the confusion flash in his eyes before he nodded slowly. "He approached me first, said he was going to hurt one of my babies," she saw Kuon look at her belly, the shock and pain increasing on his face. "I didn't even consider Bella," she said before she looked down.

"He….hurt her?" Kuon asked slowly, the familiar anger coating his voice. His other hand turned into a fist, "Why?" he asked and Kyoko sighed.

"I don't know, his actions have always been a mystery to me but I don't think he hurt Bella to hurt Bella," he said as she saw the hate start to fill Kuon's expression. "I think that he wanted to get to her because he wanted to hurt you. He's always been afraid of you. Never wanted to be near you," Kyoko attempted to explain and Kuon tried to control his breathing.

"I pose….no threat….now," he tried to explain and Kyoko brought his hand to her lips.

"I know, sweetheart," she said before looking down painfully, "but he's always been a coward. Always tried to do things in a way so that he doesn't face opposition. You remember in Karuizawa how he tried to lead me into the forest before doing anything to me," she said as she saw the darkness in Kuon's expression. "He's pathetic and a coward…."

"Is she…going to….be okay?" Kuon asked extremely concerned about his daughter by now. No matter how much she loathed him or how terrified she was of him, he loved her unconditionally. She was always going to be his little girl and he always needed to make sure that she was safe and cared for. Even if he had to leave his family, he would do so if it meant keeping her safe and happy.

"I…I want to say yes but I'm not sure," Kyoko said honestly. "How about you get changed and get some sleep and I'll see what I can do," she told him. Maybe she could try to track him down, maybe try to look a little bit like Mio and ask if she could bargain with him. She didn't want the little family to get hurt any more than they had. She didn't want to see the pain on her husband's face or the fear on Bella's.

Hopefully there was something that she could do.

…

…

Kyoko had left the house but only after she knew that Kuon was asleep. She had asked for Kuu and Julie to take care of Bella for the night because she was terrified of being around her own father. Julie had agreed to take care of her and Kuu was going to go and get some of her clothes and a few other things that she would need.

The whole family wanted to repair the broken link between father and daughter.

That was what had led Kyoko to dress in a flowing Gothic black dress that was Mio's style and she had applied her own makeup to make it look like she had a scar on her cheek. She had put her hair in a low ponytail to avoid cutting it but still show more of Mio's length. As she saw Reino approach, she raised an eyebrow with the memories of Karuizawa flashing in her mind.

The only thing different was her pregnant belly, hopefully that wouldn't be a deal breaker.

"You came…..late," Kyoko said as she turned to him with hate filling her eyes, which was very easy to do, "You think that I have to wait around for you?" she asked, "Such a disgrace. I'm sure that if I made a cut for every minute you kept me waiting it would destroy that pretty face of yours."

"You know what I like," Reino smiled to her before putting a hand on her cheek and brought it up, "Maybe if your hair was cut."

"I'm sorry…" Kyoko bit back coldly, "I don't remember asking for an opinion," she pushed him backwards so that she could take a couple of steps back as well. "Speak now, what is it you want me to offer. I don't have much patience for foolish games like this…."

"What do you think I want?" Reino laughed, obviously enjoying this.

"You want a treat. You want for me to leave my husband," she said with a roll of her eyes, "why would I even consider leaving that man, leaving his well furnished home, his money," _his love_. Kyoko raised an eyebrow, "To hurt him, that's what you want, isn't it?"

"I want a date with you," Reino replied, "With you looking exactly like this," he said as he used his fingers to outline her body. "I've missed you."

"Obviously," Kyoko said as she felt a fear shoot through her, being alone with this guy wasn't the best idea but she didn't know how else to get Bella back to being the daddy's girl she was inside. "Okay, I might agree to that…" she said before looking at him again, "Under two conditions," she said as she held up two fingers.

"Wow, you're a little greedy," Reino said before he approached her and slowly bit down on her neck which left Kyoko feeling pain in her heart. Only Kuon was allowed to mark her there, how could she explain this without hurting him.

"You'll find that the requests join very very well," she said as she intertwined the two fingers. "First, you restore Bella back to her normal self right now and second, you never come near her again."

"And you'll come back here tomorrow night around nine?" Reino asked and Kyoko nodded.

"Yes, yes I will," she said and Reino laughed at that.

"Deal," Reino said before he seemed to swirl his hand in the air which create a small whirlwind of silver dust which he threw in the direction of where Kuu and Julie's house was. Kyoko wasn't sure whether to trust him or not but she had to do this for her family.

…

…

"Daddy?" Bella panicked as she woke up, tears in her eyes, "Daddy…." She got out of the bed before realizing that she was at her grandparents but she didn't remember when she got here. Was her Daddy here too? Everything that day seemed like a blur to her but maybe it wasn't too late to see her dad. She saw her fox toy on a chair and she grabbed to it.

She made her way down the stairs and to where her grandparents were sitting in the kitchen. It looked as if they had been having an important talk. Although she hated to interrupt, she was a little lonely without her daddy there to take care of her. As she entered the room, her grandparents both looked at her.

"Bella?" Kuu asked as he approached the little girl, "Is something wrong?" he asked and Bella ran to him, throwing her arms around his leg with tears in her eyes.

"I said some mean things to Daddy," she said between her sobs. "I want Daddy. I need to say sorry. I….I want to be with Daddy," she told Kuu who slowly knelt down to be at her level. He wrapped her up in his arms, thankful that she seemed to be more of her usual self. He knew Kuon would be relieved.

"Do you want to call Daddy on the phone?" he asked her and Bella wiped the tears from her eyes before nodding. She didn't like in when her daddy hadn't said he loved her and to have a good night on the phone. She saw her grandmother take out her cell phone and get to her daddy's number before handing it to her.

Bella took calming breaths as she listened to the ringing of the phone and on the penultimate ring, it was picked up.

"Mom, is…..sssome-thing….is everyttt-hing…. okay, …..Bella, she's ok-kay, right?" Kuon asked, his voice showing his panic and concern. Bella felt tears in her eyes. She knew she had hurt her father and yet he cared about her so much, he was worried about her.

"Daddy," Bella said through tears, "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry…"

"Bella?" Kuon asked surprised.

"It's me, Daddy. I didn't mean to say mean things to you. I love you, Daddy. You're my most important person," she said as she tried to rub away the tears, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she said and she heard her father give a sigh of relief.

"You don't…..need to…apologize," he said in a soothing way and Bella had to cuddle her fox plush more, "As long as….you're okay."

"Yeah," Bella nodded, "Yes, I'm okay," she shivered, "Daddy…" she said slowly, "I love you."

"I love you….too," Kuon said and Bella knew that he sounded happy. "I'll…see you…in the mor-ning…..Have a goo-d…nn-night,"

"You too, Daddy," Bella said before she wrapped up the phone call and gave the phone to her grandmother. She felt relief that her father was still her father, he always loved her even when she was bad because of the great father he was.

 **End of Chapter Sixty Seven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Sixty Six**

Erza: Oh, I'm sorry that you were sad but yeah, misunderstanding, and _he's_ not going to kick Reino's ass just yet

KrisXD: He most definitely _is_ creepy

Ktoll9: I don't think kill is the right word but it's never a good idea getting the Hizuri family angry at you

Loyalty counts: Nope but I hope that it gave you a rush of adrenaline 😉

Paulagato: Well she'll definitely try

Undertheskys: It's okay, we all have lives 😊 Yep, but what is a Fae206 fic without drama and angst?


	68. Chapter 68 - Mysterious Powers

**AN:** I hope you enjoy the twist in this chapter and that you enjoy this chapter in general 😊

 **Chapter Sixty Eight – Mysterious Powers**

Once Bella had called Kuon, Kyoko knew that she would have to tell him what she had agreed to. She knew that he would trust her….or at least she believed that he would but she was scared that he would think of her as slutty and tell her that she no longer belonged in his life. She just wanted what was best for her family. "I…" Kyoko began before stopping herself and bowing her head. She was slightly nervous about telling him.

She looked straight ahead at the wonderful man she had been lucky enough to marry and froze, what words were best to say to him? "Kuon," she said as he hummed and looked at her, "You know that I'd never do anything to hurt you on purpose, don't you?" she asked and Kuon narrowed his eyeline which reminded her of how Ren had always seemed to do the same thing when attempting to extract the real truth from her.

"I know….that," he nodded as he looked over at Bella who was watching the Tinkerbell movie again. "What….did he ask…for?"

"You always _can_ read my mind," Kyoko sighed as she looked down and let out a heavy breath, "He asked for me to have dinner with him," she saw the way in which Kuon's body tensed. She knew she had to push through this despite how hard it was to see him looking at her in this way. He was jealous and Kyoko knew better than to try to calm those feelings. "I had to do it so that he released Bella but nothing is going to happen. I'll make sure that nothing happens. It'll just be the two of us having a meal and then I'll come straight back to you where I'll need you to make me forget all about him."

Kuon sighed before nodding, pushing his hair back with his hand. "Sure," he said with a soft smile though pain lingered in his eyes, "You think I…can do that?" he asked and Kyoko grinned. She moved closer to him.

"You're the _only_ one who can do that," she said before positioning herself in a way where he could hold her. She took a deep breath in and then let it go. This was her safety.

"I have a….request for you….as well," Kuon said and Kyoko kissed him a few times as she leaned back, putting both of her hands on his cheeks to deepen the kiss each time. Those were magical emerald eyes that always seemed to bring her love out. She grinned as she kissed him again.

"Okay," she laughed softly, "What is it?"

"If it's incon-venie-nt for…you…say no," Kuon tried to remind her and Kyoko looked at him with a raised eyebrow asking how she could deny any of his requests. "I…got hired as….a model for….a print campa—paign," he said and Kyoko's smile took over her face with her eyes showing so much energy and love.

"Really!?" she asked before grinning, "Kuon, that is amazing sweetheart. I'm so happy for you. I'm so happy that you can model again and that you can book jobs and….and I know you're the best already, I knew you could do it but…" she looked down but found Kuon laughing happily so just continued to smile. "So how can I help?"

"I told the—em…Yashiro was…..sti-still in…Ammerica and said that….I wa-wanted…..to use a sub-substi-tute that….I had used….be-fore," Kuon said to her and Kyoko wrapped her arms around him again.

"Of course. Of course, I'll fill in for Yashiro and be your substitute manager," she said as she laughed through her tears. She knew how hard it had been on Kuon since he had been injured and how hard he was working towards his goals. The fact that she would be there first hand to see them come true made her shake with excitement. "You did it, Kuon," she said as she put a hand to his chest which still had some muscle on it. "You're amazing."

"So, after tonight...you're mine…again?" he asked and Kyoko let her hand roam through his hair from the top of his head to his cheek.

"I am _always_ yours," she promised him before kissing him on the lips in a very passionate and adult manner. She pulled back and hummed, "always."

…..

…

Kyoko stood uncomfortably, looking like Mio in the same place that she was the previous night. She really didn't want to be here but she had made a promise and it was her love for her husband and daughter that kept her here instead of running away. If Kuon was hated by Bella then his healing would take longer and plus, nobody wanted their husband to be hated by a daughter that they adored.

As Reino approached her, Kyoko rolled her eyes, "Did I keep you waiting long?" he asked and Kyoko looked at her nails.

"You better make it up to me," she said in character, "I could have done other things, didn't have to waste those precious moments of my time. Say, would it be better if I cut off your head or your dick?" she asked and Reino laughed at that.

"Surprise me but make it painless," he said as he raised an eyebrow, "I don't mind the idea of death but I hate pain."

"Sadly, I enjoy causing pain but I also enjoy causing fear," Kyoko said before feeling Reino take her hand and she let him, fighting all of her instincts to push him away and declare her undying loyalty for Kuon. She had to keep remembering him and how happy he was with Bella. It was only for her family that she would even be here right now.

Reino held her hand and led her towards where the restaurant was, "I was thinking a bar, I can't stand these annoying romance restaurants," he stated and Kyoko rolled her eyes.

"You are aware that I'm pregnant," she told him and Reino sighed.

"Unfortunately, but I decided to pick a restaurant where they prohibit smoking," he said as he looked up at the sky, "You don't know how hard that was for me to do."

"Nearly impossible, I presume," Kyoko replied, "I mean with that lack of personality of yours isn't smoking the only thing that makes you feel interesting. I mean, you really don't have much power of your own, do you? Always stealing from others."

"True," Reino said before stopping outside a dark restaurant in a nondescript building, "This seemed just like the place we could go together," he said with a smile and Kyoko sighed.

"Well, it does match your personality, nothing exciting," she said looking at her nails as if they were more interesting than him. She wanted to turn and run, yell at him that he would never be even half of the man that Kuon was but their deal didn't include that.

She flinched as Reino reached out to touch her neck and she thought about how she wanted to lift each of those disgusting fingers off of her skin. She didn't want anybody but Kuon to touch her this way and her anger was starting to show. She needed to keep calm and finish this night and then hopefully she would never have to see him ever again.

She was taking deep breaths to control her anger when she felt lips against hers and a tongue stuck down her throat. That act alone made her feel sick, made her grudges awaken inside of her. She hadn't agreed to _that_. He held her forcefully and she felt that she couldn't push him away with the way he was holding her. She had used her anger in the past, maybe she could use it again.

She felt a rush within her and felt a little darkness in her heart but as she reached out to his chest to push him again, her hands felt cold and she placed them on his chest making him take a step back in shock. Kyoko opened her eyes to see that ice was coming from her hands into his chest.

"What are you doing?" he asked, watching her but Kyoko had no idea. She looked at the ground and saw the ice appear again.

"What have you done to me?" she asked in horror before grabbing his chest, her anger filling her and then she saw that he seemed to be choking. She could feel his heart slowing down and her breaths grew faster before he dropped down onto the ground. Kyoko froze, looking around at the few people who were there.

"What?" she asked as she saw the corpse on the ground. Had anyone seen her show these powers? Did anyone know that she had killed him? Her heart pained with the idea that she would be sent to jail, sent away from her husband and children. Was she going to have to give birth in a prison hospital?

She didn't know at that point that Reino's death would be classified as a drug overdose. All she knew was that she had somehow killed him, somehow developed a power to do so. Would Kuon reject her now? Would he consider her a freak? Would he stop loving her especially once he learned of what she had to do with Beagle's fate? She waited for the police to come whilst sobbing.

Fortunately, people were thinking that she was sobbing because of the loss of the man on the ground and not her own fear of what he had done to her. She didn't know at that time that the world would consider her innocent in his murder.

….

….

Kuon was finishing the chapter of Anne of Green Gables with Isabella that she had chosen for them to read together that night. Isabella didn't seem to mind that it would take him some time to read his pages and she had told him that she definitely noticed the progress he had made. She and Kyoko had read before but it was something that Kuon had been doing with Isabella since she was an infant.

"I think that's…the end for…tonight," Kuon said as he kissed Bella's forehead and she snuggled down underneath the duvet.

"Thank you, Daddy," she smiled before cuddling her toys more, "I love you. Goodnight."

"I love you too….Bella," Kuon said as he stroked a strand of hair behind her ear. He really did love her. He managed to get himself from the chair beside the bed into his wheelchair and left the door open just slightly as he turned off the light and made sure the nightlight was on. "Good night….little princess," he said before hearing the front door shut.

"Crap. Crap. Crap," Kyoko said as Kuon heard a few things being moved around and he felt himself shudder. How did it get so cold?

"Kyoko?" he asked as he saw her and rolled himself closer to where she was. He could feel her panicking and for some reason the atmosphere had become much icier almost as if he had entered an enchanted ice kingdom. "Princess…" he said before looking at her to see that she was shivering with a panicked expression. "Kyoko, what is it? What….ha-ha-happened?"

"I…I don't know…this isn't happening, it can't be happening," she said and Kuon looked at her not sure of what she was talking about.

"What's going on?" Kuon asked again and Kyoko turned to him.

"You love me, right?" she asked as if believing that he could answer a different way, he nodded and continued to look at her with concern in his eyes. "No matter what, you love me?" she asked again and Kuon nodded.

"Kyoko…wha-" Kuon said but watched as Kyoko put her hand on the glass window and saw it turn to ice before shattering and his eyes widened even more. What was going on here?

"I…killed him, Kuon," she whispered and Kuon stared at her, "I didn't mean to….I just…" as Kyoko panicked snow seemed to fall within the room. Kuon looked around in shock before reaching out for her.

"I still…love you," he told her as he tried to gesture for her to sit on his lap. She nervously did so and then found that as she sat down, she felt the room warm up again and she could calm down. She wrapped her arms around him before sobbing.

"I didn't mean to….I…please don't…" she said and Kuon made sure to hold her as close as possible. He kissed her and then pulled back with a soft smile.

"It's okay," he said in a clear voice without realizing it, "I've got you, my princess."

 **End of Chapter Sixty Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Sixty Seven**

Kris XD: Well Kuon and Bella are okay but I'm not sure about Kyoko

Ktoll9: Well she's over her head for a completely different reason

Lialee: Not sure if Kyoko punished Reino too much because she certainly didn't mean to

Undertheskys: Neither do I but he's an interesting character in the manga


	69. Chapter 69 - Ice Princess

**AN:** I'm very relieved that you guys don't hate the twist, I hope you continue to enjoy this chapter 😊

 **Chapter Sixty Nine – Ice Princess**

Kuon sighed as he gazed down upon the woman that he loves, he pulled her to him in the bed as she stared at the ceiling anxiously. "Princess," he said, still having to get used to the fact that he could talk again because such things shouldn't be possible. "Is there anything that I can do to help? Is there a way of -"

"Just keep talking," Kyoko interrupted him as she shivered in his arms. She knew he was wearing two sweaters because of her, she knew that he was still shivering a little because of her but hearing his voice right now was working in a way that she wasn't expecting. It was as if this pain that the love of her life had been going through was over.

"Is that really going to help?" he asked as he stroked her hair behind her ear again. "I think we might need to go to a doctor to get a check up on the boys," Kuon told her as he placed a protective hand on her belly and Kyoko's eyes lit up in fear. "Maybe the same people who took you out of being frozen?"

"You're right," Kyoko told him before closing her eyes, "Yes, of course," she told him before he sighed.

"You want to see what's on the news, don't you?" he asked and Kyoko nodded making it so that Kuon could reach out for the remote to the TV. Kyoko held closer to him, terrified that she would be stated to be a murder suspect.

After a news report finished about an event in Tokyo, there came the next report which was about Reino overdosing on drugs. Kyoko felt a relieved sob let go from her mouth but then she looked down sadly. She hadn't meant to sound happy, she hadn't wanted him dead. She felt the pain all over from having caused death even though he had said that he had been unafraid of dying.

"It's okay, we'll just keep this secret between the two of us," Kuon said and Kyoko nodded nervously.

"What if they que-" she said and Kuon smiled at her.

"Well, if they question it, then I'll say that as your husband, I don't have to testify to anything…they might not even let me testify," he told her and Kyoko looked at him, her amber eyes meeting his emerald ones.

"How about the fact that I seem to have supernatural powers?" she asked and Kuon looked at her before humming.

"Well then we have to find out how to get used to that," he said before smiling as he closed his eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm just enjoying the fact that my words in my head are actually coming out of my mouth," he sighed, "it was torture knowing what I wanted to say but not having the ability to do so."

Kyoko felt herself shaking and reached for his hand. "Kuon," she said as she felt the pain in her chest again, "I love you but….it doesn't bother you that I'm a murderer?" she asked with tears in her eyes. She moved closer to him and he let his hand run through her hair.

"You didn't mean to do it, I know you would never mean to kill anyone," Kuon told her honestly. He looked down awkwardly and took a deep breath in, "Kyoko, I love you. I don't know how to comfort you right now and I hate that but I love you, there is nothing in this world that will stop that from being true. I just hope that….if I were in the same position…"

Kyoko nodded and snuggled closer. "You're my Corn," she told him, "I could never bear ill will against my prince Corn. I could never stop loving you."

"Then just try to get some rest," he said as he kissed her again, "Try to just close your eyes, I'll stand beside you no matter what happens for us in the future."

…

…

The glass sat completely frozen on the table which had a thick layer of ice on it as well. Kyoko couldn't believe it, she couldn't get it under control and it had been weeks since she had. She hadn't been blamed for Reino's death but ever since that night Kuon had looked at her differently. She no longer felt that he loved her and each time she displayed these powers, his patience dropped. She had to get control of herself.

"I'm leaving," Kuon told her as he stood by the door, a suitcase in one hand and Bella's hand in his other. Bella had a backpack on as did Kuon and Kyoko stared at them. "I told you to get it under control!" he yelled at her. "You're a freak. I gave you the benefit of the doubt before because you're my wife and I used to love you but your powers are….you're a monster," he told her with a cold look in his eyes. "You've really let me down and taken advantage of me."

"Kuon? I don't mean it, I…" Kyoko told him and Kuon put two fingers to his forehead and shook his head.

"You always say that you don't mean it but you're lying to me. What's worse is that you are lying to yourself and even lying to Bella."

"Yeah, liar," Bella said as she stuck her tongue out and Kyoko looked at them desperately.

"To think that I could ever stay in love with a cold hearted killer," Kuon told her before looking her over, "You're super slutty and you're stupid. I can't believe you did this to me, to us. You're a freak, Mogami-san," he told her, "You're a freak and I'm leaving you. If you try to follow us, I'll have you arrested and I'll tell your secret."

Kyoko looked at him and then stared at her belly. She wasn't pregnant any longer? Where were her little boys?

"You killed them," Kuon tried to remind her, "Because of you developing those…freakish powers of yours, you killed my sons and that's why I can never forgive you. If you had been normal then you would never have miscarried. You killed my sons, Kyoko and I will have nothing but hate in my heart for you. Are you okay with that?"

Kyoko looked at him desperately, not knowing how to answer.

"Are you okay? Are you okay?" he asked and Kyoko felt that she was losing composure. No, she wasn't okay, she looked down before feeling light headed, "Are you o-"

…

…

"Are you okay?" Kuon asked concerned as Kyoko opened her eyes. She shivered again and looked at the sheets she was holding that were covered in ice. She flinched as she saw that her hand had grown extremely cold. She shivered but felt that Kuon pulled her against his chest. He was still wearing those two sweaters, was she really that cold? "Princess?" he asked as he kissed the top of her head though his breath was shaking as he did so. "Are you okay?"

"Bad…dream," Kyoko replied and Kuon pulled her even closer to him, his arms almost around her belly and he had long arms.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her and Kyoko closed her eyes, feeling the tears fill up but as she cried it was as if they were icicles. She shivered again and Kuon kissed her again trying his best to give her the comfort that she needed.

"I'm right here," he told her, "I'm not going anywhere. We'll patch up the pane of glass tomorrow but I think the box will hold it for now." Kyoko nodded as she closed her eyes and her whole body shook in his arms. "I love you. I love you. I love you," he whispered as he gave her a kiss between each saying.

"Am I a monster?" she asked him with her heart beating painfully in her chest, "Am I a freak?"

"No," Kuon attempted to reassure her, "You're Kyoko, _my_ Kyoko. So what if you have some new super powers, that doesn't change how I feel about you. I know that it must be scary to you," he said as his hands joined with hers despite her drop of body temperature, "having these abilities but we'll work through it together. You were there for me when I was fighting the brain damage and I'll be here for you through this."

"Kuon," Kyoko said as she cherished the way the word sounded out of her mouth, "How can you be so calm and so understanding? I don't even understand this."

"I don't understand what's going on either but as for how I can treat you in this way. I love you, Kyoko. I love you more than anyone or anything that I've ever known. We'll get through this together," he tried to remind her. "You know I'm not perfect and you don't hold it against me. I will never hate you even if you one day hate me."

"I wouldn't," Kyoko said quickly, "I couldn't hate you," she turned to look at him and kissed him again. She saw his face turn into one of shock and confusion. "Kuon, what is it?" she asked and Kuon reached across for the light, dimming it as he looked at the woman in front of him.

Her hair had turned white instead of black and one of her amber eyes had turned a deep blue giving them two different colors. Kyoko pulled back as he started touching her more pale cheek. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say to her.

"I'm sorry….I just…" he began before picking up his phone and turning it to the camera option before handing it to her. Kyoko took a look at her appearance before starting to shake more. She put a hand up to her face to look at her eyes and turned to him, the same shock on her face.

"Kuon…I…" she said, not knowing how to continue that sentence.

"You're still my beautiful Kyoko," he tried to remind her as he held her in his arms. "We'll get you color contacts, see if we can dye your hair," he said as he let his fingers go through it again. "You look just like a beautiful ice queen," he said as he kissed a strand of her hair.

"And you look just like a fairy prince," she teased him, "or maybe I should say king of the fairies," she said as she hugged him again and cried into his chest. She didn't know how she would be able to get through this if he wasn't there.

…..

…..

Two days later the news was still going around that Vie Ghoul's, Reino, had died because he had overdosed on drugs and alcohol with the coroner proving that the slowness and coldness of his heart showed a lack of control with recreational substances. Only Kyoko and Kuon knew the truth about what had happened.

Kuon sat in his wheelchair by Kyoko's bedside as the doctor examined her belly. Kuon was slowly counting so quietly that only Kyoko could hear him and take comfort in his presence. He was as worried as Kyoko was that the boys had been hurt by her 'cold' and as he saw both babies on the ultrasound image, he took a quick breath of relief.

"How are their hearts?" Kyoko asked as she wore a wig and had color contacts in so nobody could see how her appearance had drastically changed.

"They are both very healthy, it's natural that you get a cold but you can see that both of them are very healthy so try not to stress and everything should be fine," the doctor said as Kyoko exhaled with relief.

"I just want to be a good mother to them," she said as Kuon held her hand and ran his thumb over the back of it.

"I think you're going to be excellent parents to your three children, plus you already have all that practice with Bella," she said and Kyoko nodded slowly, looking across at Kuon as he tried to smile at her reassuringly. Hopefully things would be okay and soon they would have two little boys to take care of.

 **End of Chapter Sixty Nine**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Sixty Eight**

Brennakai: Yep, but Kyoko has had hate powers before 😉

Kris XD: Well he's sure going to try

Ktoll9: Yep and now she looks the part as well

Loyalty counts: That's what happens when you skip chapters 😉 Well that's how it's going to be explained to Bella in the near future

Paulagato: Yep, plus he awakened these powers in Kyoko so it's his fault 😉

Undertheskys: Glad you like it and she had to be honest with him because she loves him 😊


	70. Chapter 70 - Amazing Men

**AN:** Oh my god, I can't believe that I'm already on chapter 70 or that this fic has over 400 reviews or that I have over 1.25M words on this site. I couldn't have done it without all of your support so thank you for your support, your encouragement, and your reviews 😊 Thank you.

Also, I hope that I kept the characters in character, Kuon is supposed to be more like the manga than he was before.

 **Chapter Seventy – Amazing Men**

Kyoko smiled at her husband as she managed to get them safely home. Hopefully Kuon's legs would heal soon because she was getting way too pregnant to be driving comfortably. She sighed as she looked down, maybe she should be considering other things such as how her body didn't seem to be cooperating with her anymore. She smiled across at her husband who was watching her, studying her with that blinding love that he never directed elsewhere.

"How did I end up marrying the most amazing guy?" she asked him and Kuon laughed.

"Well, I'm not sure if you did," he said playfully, "but I'm honored for the compliment." He looked at her again and then sighed, "It'll be okay. I know that sounds cliché and I'm not sure if I'm entirely convincing but it will be okay."

"Yes because everyone develops super powers on an average day," Kyoko sighed in frustration. "Kuon, I have fricken ice powers now, you don't know…" she paused before seeing him clapping slowly like he had done when they had watched the interview with the couple during the time she helped him with Katsuki over a decade ago. "What…are you doing?"

"Congratulations you have ice powers," he said and Kyoko raised an eyebrow but her frustration was soon overcome by how adorable he was.

"Kuon…." She said before smiling, "You're going to kill me with cuteness one day," she said and as they stopped at the lights, she hung her head, a black cloud swarming around her. She laughed softly, "You know, I never would have thought of Ren Tsuruga as particularly cute before Cain Heel," she said before rolling her eyes. Okay, maybe on a handful of occasions.

"Kyoko, I don't really know what else to say," the blond told her. "I don't know what else we're supposed to do but accept the facts. Yes, you do have ice powers but that doesn't make any difference to how much I love you. We'll just have to figure out proper control over it. I mean, maybe you've had the powers since you were taken out of the cryogenic state that you were in. When your body wasn't found, they searched for a long time in that lake and then you were only found to be frozen six full years afterwards. I mean, I'm not one to dispute the laws of nature and of the universe but there might be some magical explanation. Now, if you had fire power _that_ wouldn't make any sense."

Kyoko looked down with a sigh before starting to drive again. "You never really tell me that you believe in magic," she said and Kuon smiled.

"Anything that brings you back to me is the good type of magic," he replied. "It doesn't bother me and now you'll know what to get me as a gift."

"Another sweater?" Kyoko asked and Kuon grinned.

"Yes, it's a perfect gift, right?" he laughed and Kyoko swatted him a little bit but she couldn't help but laugh slightly as well despite the idea of her murdering someone still plaguing her mind. He always managed to cheer her up just as he had told her that she was able to make him happy. She really had missed this light banter with him.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Kyoko smiled, "when you got your injuries and they were saying that you might not be able to go home, I felt that I would miss you too much. When they told me that you might have a different personality, I was afraid but I knew that I'd still love you no matter what. I'm glad that you're back to your old self."

"My old annoying self?" Kuon asked and Kyoko laughed.

"You know, I don't think of you as annoying," she admitted, "I mean you toyed around with me and tricked me a lot as Ren but I still thought you were like this god type being but…you're the man I love and the only man who made me believe that loving someone was a good and healthy thing. You're still the person I love most."

"Apart from I'm not a god," Kuon said as he pointed to himself and Kyoko playfully batted him again.

"I _know_ that," she replied, "I was young and naïve, and I didn't think about my feelings in realistic ways. Plus, you are a god where it counts," she teased him and ran a hand down his leg. "Maybe since I healed your brain with a kiss, I could heal your legs with some…healthy married couple activity."

"Are you sure about that?" Kuon asked before looking at her with a blank expression, "If my body parts fall off," he said and Kyoko laughed softly as they got back home.

"Like I would do that to you," she said before kissing him again once she had parked, "Thank you for being so wonderful, Kuon. Really, thank you. How could I cope without you?"

…

…

Kuu stared at Kuon in a mix of shock and excitement. He had been told by Bella whilst she was spending the day with him that Kuon had just started talking normally again. Kuu and Julie hadn't seen Kuon since before the weekend but for him to suddenly go from still struggling to speak at a regular pace and then to talking normally was something that he couldn't believe…or he couldn't until he was witness to it.

"So, it just came back…." Kuu said as he blinked again and Kuon looked forwards at the ground with a weak smile.

"Something like that," he told his father who gave him a skeptical look, "Are you saying that you don-"

"What I'm saying," Kuu said in disbelief before grinning, "is that a head injury isn't like a cold. Getting whacked in the skull isn't like having laryngitis or your voice being injured it's to do with the workings on your brain and I'm…" he laughed softly, "However it happened, I'm just really glad that you're okay. It's just a shock to me."

"Dad, I….I want to explain what's going on but I can't, I'm sorry," he apologized but Kuu laughed again.

"I'm very relieved that you're okay and I'm going to take it that there's something secretive going on here but it's none of my business. Are you…" Kuu said as he looked over at his son protectively, "You are…right…you're okay?"

"I'm doing okay, I can't stand or walk about without support, but I'm okay," he said and Kuu looked at him trying to make sure before sighing and pushed his hand through his hair in relief. He slid back so that his back was against the sofa before seeing Kyoko come in and his eyes widened again. Okay, so this was new.

"Fa-Kuu-sama!" Kyoko gasped in shock.

"Is that makeup for….a modeling shoot?" Kuu asked as he looked over at Kuon. Kuon finally being able to talk as he had been before was a shock in itself, Kuu had predicted for it to take Kuon at least until the end of the year to be able to speak as he was now and that was _with_ his great fatherly love. Seeing Kyoko looking like this was ten times more shocking.

"This is something to do with what I can't explain," Kuon said as he gestured to Kyoko and Kuu looked at her trying to take in what was going on whilst having absolutely no idea of what was really happening.

"Kyoko is a….witch?" Kuu guessed and shrugged as he looked between them. By the way they were looking at one another made Kuu feel that this absurd guess wasn't actually that far off.

"I'm sure that we can tell your dad," Kyoko said as Kuon's eyes widened and he looked between Kyoko and his father. He knew that his dad would take this secret to the grave with him but he didn't want for Kuu to try to help and get caught up in something unsafe. "Wouldn't you trust him with your life?"

"He's already _saved_ my life a few times," Kuon quickly replied before looking down, "Dad, one day, hopefully we will try to explain what's going on but until we really know then we're handling it, we've got it under control," he said before looking at his father guiltily, "I'm sorry, you do remember that I'm a Daddy's boy, right?"

"I know and I love the two of you," he sighed before nodding slowly, "Well, I'll trust that you two have got it handled but if you need me for anything then let me or Julie know and we'll do all that we can to help. We really do love you even though I was quite hard on you a few months ago, Kyoko, for that I really am -"

"I was an idiot," Kyoko quickly replied before placing a hand over her belly. "I would bow but…it's a little harder to do with the twins," she said before closing her eyes. "I was an idiot who was scared and let my emotions take control of me. For that, I am truly sorry and I never want to experience that again. Hearing you say that you're sorry might make me feel even worse," she said honestly and Kuu sighed before nodding.

"Let's just move on and talk about how beautiful you look with white hair," he said as he gave her a thumbs up and Kyoko rolled her eyes which both men caught. "Is something…"

"Like father, like son," she said as Kuu and Kuon looked between themselves and shrugged whilst Kyoko had a playful smile on her face. It was really sweet how much Kuon took after his father even in the small mannerisms he used whilst reacting to news.

…..

…..

 _Kuu raised an eyebrow as he looked at the twenty-nine-year-old actor. Kuon was sick. Despite Kuon saying that he rarely got sick, he was sick and Kuu didn't like seeing it. "Can you please just sit down and I'll take care of the cooking?" he asked and Kuon shook his head before coughing onto the back of his arm._

" _Dad, I'm fine," Kuon told him as he looked around, his eyes red and sore but he felt that he could take care of everything just as if he wasn't normal. "I can take care of…"_

" _Please just let me take care of you today?" Kuu asked with a weak smile before standing up and walked over to Kuon. He raised a hand and Kuon's eyes widened a little bit as if he was expecting Kuu to poke him, however, Kuu put his hand on Kuon's forehead to test if he had a fever. He hummed before pointing at the sofa, "Go and sit down, I'll take care of things for today," he told Kuon directly._

 _Kuon looked towards the sofa before nodding slowly, he didn't like arguing with his father. "Dad, I'm not a little kid anymore, I don't need you to inconvenience yourself by taking care of me," he said before coughing again._

" _Inconvenience myself," Kuu laughed, "Never. You might not be a little kid anymore Kuon but you will never stop being my little boy," he smiled to him. "I love you, Kuon."_

" _Love you too, Dad" Kuon said before sitting down on the sofa and sighed, "She used to make all this medicine. She knows all these techniques,"_

" _I know some too," Kuu grinned and Kuon laughed. "I'm from Japan too, Kuon," he said and Kuon rolled his eyes with a laugh._

" _Sure," he smiled, "It's a Japanese thing…of course."_

 **End of Chapter Seventy**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Sixty Nine**

Ashenvale: Definitely but I wanted to focus on how she was frozen in the past

Brennakai: It'll be a short time until the twins are born but maybe this will affect them too 😉

Erza: Soon we'll see it but I want him to heal naturally when it comes to his physical progress. I think Bella will get excited about it but it takes time

Kris XD: She'll have to but at least she's got Kuon to help her

Ktoll9: I hope so but it's more to do with how she was frozen rather than with Reino

Loyalty counts: Not exactly but Kuon will have to work on how to help her and defend her

Paulagato: We'll have to wait to see how the pregnancy turns out

Undertheskys: Hopefully I didn't disappoint with this chapter 😊


	71. Chapter 71 - Fear

**AN:** Whilst I'm going to be using Elsa as a way of Bella understanding Kyoko, I'm not intentionally making this like 'Frozen' 😊 but I do like the way that people think of that. I'm using it as a way to explain how she could come back after six years 😊 Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

 **Chapter Seventy One – Fear**

Kyoko curled up closer in Kuon's arms as they watched the news footage about Reino's funeral. Kuon knew how much support Kyoko would need to get through this. She was still quite innocent and although she had experienced hate, she had never intended to be responsible for a death. The only person he believed that she had actually wished to die was Grant and maybe, over time, that dislike would fade too.

"They definitely think it was drug overdose, right?" Kyoko asked and Kuon kissed the top of her head, letting his hands go under the wig she was wearing to touch her real hair. They were told not to dye it by Ten in case it got through to the babies though she was wondering why they had been asking at all.

"They've said a number of times now that that's what it was," Kuon said as he tried to keep her close to him.

"They don't think that someone killed him?" she asked and Kuon shook his head. He just wanted her to feel better. He saw what had happened between her and that guy as an accident. Kyoko had told him everything, he had forced a kiss on her and her hate had brought out these ice powers that she had never thought that she had. Maybe the fairies really had given them to her as if they had saved her life when she had nearly drowned.

"They wouldn't even be able to make that case," Kuon said as he felt her shiver and still held her close despite her temperature dropping again. "Why don't we move on and forget about it?" he asked, "We could focus on me walking from one side of the room to the other using the crutches," he suggested and Kyoko laughed softly.

"Are you ready to do that? The doctor told you not to push yourself too much," she said as she turned off the television. She knew that she would never want to tell anyone how Beagle had really died and she knew that Kuon would carry that secret with him for the rest of his life, not telling a single soul about what the cause of death was. That's how much he loved her.

"Maybe later," Kuon said honestly as he looked from one end of the room to the other, "It _is_ a pretty long distance."

Kyoko sighed before looking down and swung her legs over the side of the couch, putting a hand to her belly. "Kuon, I was thinking. Do you think that we could take a trip once the boys are born?" she asked and Kuon smiled at her.

"What kind of a trip are you thinking about?" he asked with a soft smile. If that was what would help her be happier, help her become more accepting of this new part of their life they were about to enter, then he wanted to give her what she needed.

"I want to go to the lake," she said and Kuon's entire body turned several shades paler.

"The lake?" he asked as he stared in horror at the floor in front of them. He didn't know how to respond. Even to Bella he wasn't used to saying no when asked something by a loved one but about that lake, he did have nightmares about it. It haunted him and when he had visited the area, it still completely haunted him that he could lose someone so important to him, someone far more important than Rick had been, no offense to Rick.

"I thought it might be interesting to see if we can find any clues around the area where I fe-" Kyoko stopped as she saw Kuon shaking and staring in front of him as if he were traumatized. She paused, did she really want to go back there? Yes, there would be information there that she would most likely find beneficial to her but was it worth causing Kuon to look this way? "I could go by myself."

"No!" Kuon yelled before trying to calm himself, his body was shaking, "No. I….I don't want you to ever go near that place," he told her and Kyoko reached out for him. She could see how terrified he was and she thought about how she had felt such pain when she had driven by where Kuon had been injured whilst he was in his coma. If she couldn't handle that then was she expecting too much of her husband with her request?

"Kuon, I…." she said but found Kuon to move himself to his wheelchair.

"I don't want to go back there," Kuon said with a direct manner, "I don't want you to go back there. What if I was to lose you again? What then?" he asked before shaking his head, a few tears in his eyes which Kyoko didn't fail to notice, "What if I lose you and you don't come back this time. Please, Kyoko, please don't do that….not again….I can't do that again."

Kyoko sighed and leaned over so she could wrap her arms around her husband, "I won't," she whispered. "I'm so sorry that I upset you, my sweet prince," she said before feeling him shaking as he put his arms around her as well. She sighed. Maybe that place did hold the answers but she knew she couldn't handle Kuon being _this_ upset just so she could find them.

…

…

"So," Kyoko smiled as she set down dinner for the three of them. It was an udon dish that had a lot of vegetables and some slightly spicy broth along with the well cooked beef. It was something that Kyoko enjoyed cooking and she enjoyed it even more when she had Kuon beside her cooking it as well. It reminded her of the stories that Kuu had told her of the enjoyment the Hizuris had preparing food together.

Sho probably would never have done this with her or at least he wouldn't be so open to doing it her way which Kuon was despite his superior cooking skills in some areas.

"Bella," Kyoko continued as she sat opposite her daughter, "Have you thought about what you'd like to do next week?" she asked and Bella hummed. Despite sometimes a particular writer getting her age confused, now it was September, Bella would be turning seven. If they were in America, Bella would probably love to have a party with all of her friends around her but they weren't in America any more and after what had happened with Beagle, both her parents were afraid of her returning to that school and were discussing home schooling.

"I'd like to spend it with Daddy," Bella smiled and then quickly added, "and you can come too, Mom," she said and Kyoko smiled, not saying anything about the way that she had been added as if a polite afterthought. She knew that Kuon would always be more special to Bella than she was and she had made her peace with it.

"Can we go shopping?" she asked and Kuon looked at her surprised.

"You want to go shopping?" he asked, it was something that they did a lot and it didn't really seem as special as some of the other requests that Bella had made when she was younger. He had been waiting to hear what kind of elaborate party he got to plan again – though he usually consulted his mother because fairy princess tea parties weren't his specialty – but maybe after all of this stress going shopping would be relaxing.

"Yes, we can go to all the good shops," she said and Kuon tilted his head to the side before looking at Kyoko.

"We can do that," he said, "How about you and Mommy have a spa day in the morning and we can all go shopping in the afternoon and go somewhere nice for dinner," he suggested and saw Isabella's face light up. Okay, this love of beauty and makeup definitely was something that she got from her mother. He saw a little hesitation on Kyoko's face and then stared at her until she nodded in agreement with a smile.

"Can we go to the dessert buffet?" Bella asked as she looked between her parents and Kuon laughed weakly.

"I guess that we can if that's what you want to do," he told her although the idea of all of those desserts surrounding him was making him feel a little nauseous already. He hadn't expected to be asked to go somewhere like that but if that's what made Bella happy then he would endure the endless amount of rich and sweet food that surrounded him.

"So," Kyoko said as she started to eat her meal, "is there anything that you'd particularly like for your birthday? We already have some presents set aside for you but is there anything that you'd -"

"Can we get a cat?" Bella asked and Kuon blinked with a smile however he looked at Kyoko, he knew that he would say yes so maybe he wasn't the right person to answer this. He had no idea what Kyoko's reaction would be. He saw her smile though so he guessed that soon they would have a small furry animal in the house.

"I love that, Kuon," she said quickly, "Don't you love that idea? A little kitten playing around…"

"As long as the cat doesn't eat the koi," Kuon said before turning to Bella, "You know that a cat is a lot of responsibility, right? You can't get rid of it or stop playing with it just because you get tired of it. I mean, I know that we'll help you take care of them but are you sure that you want a cat."

"Positive," Bella said without any hesitation and Kuon smiled.

"Then we'll go and look for a cat on your birthday or maybe the day after," he said and Bella grinned happily. Maybe what they all needed right now was the house to be a bit more full with their family getting bigger with new additions.

"Bella," Kyoko said before looking down awkwardly and Kuon felt his heart pause as he noticed her hesitation. "We have something that we need to tell you and we need you to keep it a secret," she said before Kuon spoke up, holding his pinky to Bella.

"Bella, we need you to keep this as secret as possible," he said as he exchanged eye contact with her and Bella looked at him intently. Kyoko knew why Kuon was asking her to do this, if she had asked Bella then there was a chance that Bella would break her promise of secrecy but she idolized her father too much to do that to him. "Pinky promise you won't tell anyone even grandma and grandpa. We're telling you because we trust you."

Bella linked her finger with her father's, "Is Daddy pregnant?" she asked and Kuon coughed hearing that.

"No, it's even stranger," Kyoko said as Kuon looked at her in disagreement. No, her having super powers wasn't stranger than the idea of him becoming pregnant, he wasn't a seahorse.

"I wouldn't say stra-" Kuon began to argue but Kyoko interrupted him.

"I have ice powers," she said before putting her finger in the glass of water in front of her and Bella's eyes widened as she noticed how it turned to ice. "I wanted to tell you, Bella, and I know that you won't tell anyone and -"

"Because you'll be hunted like Queen Elsa?" Bella asked as she showed how amazed and impressed she was by what her mother had just done, "And Daddy will be sad and never get over it?" she asked and Kyoko nodded.

"Yes, just like that."

 **End of Chapter Seventy One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy**

Kris XD: Thank you, glad I kept them in character in more than my own head 😉

Loyaltycounts: We'll have to wait and see 😉

Paulagato: Well definitely Bella but Kuon is supporting Kyoko through all of it

Undertheskys: I like it when he can talk more but I needed to show the healing 😉


	72. Chapter 72 - Bonding

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this chapter 😊

 **Chapter Seventy Two - Bonding**

Since he was talking naturally again, Kuon had asked Kyoko if he could try to attend the modelling shoot alone and although she had been hesitant at first, she had agreed that he had to have more independence and be able to do things on his own again as part of the healing process. Still, she was worried about him and them pressuring him too much.

Kuon however had found it easier to do the modeling shoot then to interact with the other models. All of that time he had spent with the lack of ability to talk had made him feel more isolated and more socially awkward. He didn't want to admit it but the transition back to who he had been but without the comfort of being Ren Tsuruga was a little daunting from his wheelchair.

"Kuon, great job today but we need to get one last shoot, do you think that you could get onto the bench?" the director of the shoot asked. Kuon was dressed in a dark blue button up shirt with leather jacket and black pants to model for a new clothing line and the director wanted to give women a sexual image. This was something that he had become very used to even in America.

"Let's put Itsumi in the scene as well," he called out and Kuon smiled at his old friend.

"It's been some time," he said as he got himself onto the bench and Itsumi blushed. "I hear you and Kijima got married. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to attend even after you invited me."

"You had to think about your daughter, as a new mother I understand that," she smiled as she managed to position her feet underneath the back of his head for the shoot. "If you feel uncomfortable then I want to be able to do whatever I can to help," she told him and Kuon laughed.

"Thank you, you've always been such a nice person," he grinned up at her and even though she was happily married with a little girl, Itsumi felt her cheeks turn red and she had to calm herself so that the shoot could continue. After all of these years, Kuon hadn't lost his touch with the ladies.

As the photographs were taken, Kuon could feel the exhaustion setting in but soon they were telling him how fabulous his shots were and he was finally able to get back to his wheelchair. Soon he would hopefully be able to walk well enough to do acting scenes. He rolled himself away from the set before finding someone to be purposefully blocking his path.

He looked up before a grin spread across his face, "I didn't know you were back," he told the man in front of him and Yashiro laughed softly.

"Did you get surgery on your voice?" he asked before pausing, no it was Kuon's brain that had been hurt. "It's amazing to hear you speaking so well," he said as Kuon tilted his head to the side.

"Are you going to call me a monster?" Kuon joked and Yashiro smiled as he looked at his best friend. "What are you doing in the country, did Hana come too?"

"We all came, Hana was able to secure a job and we found a good school for our son," he said and Kuon gave a relieved exhale. "I couldn't have you soaking up all the glory. You may not be a teenager again but I refuse to work with anyone else."

"Well then we're the same," Kuon smiled, "I refuse to work with anybody else as well."

"Are you going to treat me to lunch?" Yashiro joked and Kuon laughed.

"Sure, then you'll be able to tell Kyoko that you kept me well fed," he smiled. It was very relieving that he had his friend in the country again.

…

…

"How about these?" Bella asked as she held up two toys in the newborn section. She walked over to Kyoko and showed her the two toys, one was a cute penguin and the other an adorable polar bear. Both of them were also attached to blankets which were nice for the baby to hold. Kyoko looked at the two toys and grinned.

"I love those, Bella," she said as she managed to bend down despite her large belly, "They're perfect for the boys," she said before holding them. "Maybe we could find some larger blankets that match them, then one of the boys can have penguins and the other can have polar bears."

"Yeah," Bella smiled as Kyoko put the toys in the basket. Kyoko had to admit that she loved shopping with Bella in a different way than she loved shopping with Kuon. With Kuon she was able to talk about deeper things and things in a more mature responsible way such as what type of crib they should get, should they get one crib or two, how should they babyproof the house, what kind of monitor should they install. Shopping with Bella meant that she could spoil all three of her kids with adorable toys and clothes and she could see Bella already fitting into the role of being a big sister.

"Is Daddy going to do lots of jobs again?" Bella asked as Kyoko looked up from the basket.

"I think so. Daddy loves acting, I first met him when he was ten and although he never told me directly that he wanted to be an actor, I knew that there was a special dream that he wanted to do. Your dad loves performing and people in this country love him for his performances," Kyoko said before putting a hand on Bella's shoulder, "You like seeing your dad perform too, right?"

"Yeah, because he's happy when he does it," Bella nodded as she saw a large piece of wall art of a rainbow and it showed two clouds. There was also a sign saying that you could get your baby's name painted onto the art. Bella looked down and bit her top lip. "What are you going to call the babies?" she asked and Kyoko paused. They hadn't picked out names yet.

"How about we do that as a family," Kyoko smiled, "I think that Daddy has some ideas so we should talk about it all together and then we'd like to choose names that their big sister would enjoy," Kyoko said as she managed to get herself standing up again.

"Do you like any names, Mommy?" Bella asked as she held Kyoko's hand and grinned up at her. Fortunately, over time Bella had regained her trust in her mother and actually enjoyed times like this when they got to spend time together. It made Kyoko relieved that she hadn't gone and chased her little girl away.

"I think I'd like at least one of them to have the 'oo' sound in their name," Kyoko said before looking down thoughtfully. Bella watched her and smiled as she repeated the sound.

"That's just like Daddy and Grandpa," she said and Kyoko nodded, "They have the oo sound in their name," she said and Kyoko grinned.

"That's why it's such a special sound to me but I didn't notice that the oo sound was there in Daddy's name when I first met him because it's less noticeable than Grandpa's name. I thought his name was Corn like the vegetable and he just never corrected me," she smiled as she looked at some socks that were on a shelf next to her. She picked up a few of them after checking the ages, she would save them until they were a few months old. "He's always doing things to make me happy."

"To make us happy," Bella said before looking around, "Maybe we could come here with Daddy as a family?" she asked and Kyoko nodded in agreement.

"How about we pay for the items we have now and then we can come back with Daddy another day. Did you want to get some ice cream with me?" Kyoko asked and Bella nodded quickly. "Then that's what we can do. Bella," she said as they went to stand in the checkout line. "I'm really excited to going to the spa together on your birthday."

"Me too," Bella smiled, "I've been with grandmother before and one time I went with Daddy but he didn't have much done to him. Daddy always told me that you loved makeup and feeling pretty. Is that why you named me after a princess?" she asked and Kyoko nodded.

"Because I adore princesses but it was Daddy who chose the name Isabella, I just wanted to call you belle. I think I like Isabella better though," she said and Bella nodded happily.

"Me too," she grinned, sharing a smile with her mother. After so long of them not getting along they were finally starting to develop that bond between them that Kyoko had been longing for so much.

…..

…..

Kyoko smiled as she watched Bella with her ice cream sundae. The way that the sun was catching the blonde tones in her hair really did make her look like her father and that only enhanced her beauty for Kyoko. Kuon had done such a good job in raising her so far but Kyoko hoped that she would have her own wisdom to give to this little girl.

She was Bella's mother and she was always happy to be so. She could remember holding the little girl tight to her chest whilst she breastfed her. She could remember seeing how excited Kuon was when Kyoko would bring the tiny infant Bella to set and how he would have to show her around and tell her all about what kind of a day he had been having.

She had really missed those early years of Bella's life but maybe there was still time to make up for it. Kyoko watched as Bella ate one of the sugar beads from the princess sundae and then saw the seat beside her get pulled out and somebody sit down in it. She froze before looking to the person. That seemed an aggressive thing to do. She looked at Bella before realizing who it was and flung her arms around her.

"Moookoo!" she giggled and Bella smiled.

"Kanae-san," she said before dropping down into a bow and then getting on the chair again. "Did you come to have ice cream with me and Mommy?" she asked and Kanae sighed.

"No, although it does look tempting," Kanae said before looking at Kyoko's belly, "You look a lot less pregnant on TV you know," she said and Kyoko laughed, placing a hand on her stomach.

"Having two little boys will make it so I'm rounder," she joked before looking at Bella who had gone back to her sundae. "What am I….what are you…"

"There's this shop," Kanae said before looking embarrassed, "They sell naked pictures of celebrities and I…I couldn't help seeing this one," she said and handed Kyoko a tube. Kyoko stared at her before winking at Kanae.

"Do you have a celebrity crush?" she teased her and Kanae sighed.

"Once you see the photograph, you'll regret asking me that," she said and Kyoko looked at her strangely before pulling the picture out of the tube. Her mouth dropped open as she saw that it was a naked picture of Kuon. She looked at it closely, focusing on the corner where his junk was.

"I didn't know that he did -"

"I knew it was photoshopped in the first few seconds, plus they are doing him a disservice," she said as Bella tilted her head to the side. "Please give me the address of this store, Moko, I have something I need to do to be a good wife," she said as she looked at the picture again in disgust.

 **End of Chapter Seventy Two**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy One**

KrisXD: Well now that Bella is getting along with her mother she'll be shown even more 😊

Ktoll9: 😊 Thank you

Paulagato: Soon, there will be a reaction soon 😉

Undertheskys: Yep, I'm trying to strengthen their mother-daughter bond


	73. Chapter 73 - Dirty Minds

**AN:** I know this is a random storyline out of nowhere but there's a lot of serious stuff already in this fic and I hoped to do something playful. I hope that you enjoy it 😊

 **Chapter Seventy Three – Dirty Minds**

Kanae stared at Kyoko as she saw the outrage in her. Kanae could understand why her friend was so pissed off that a store was selling photographs, whether photoshopped or not, of her naked and actually disable husband but she _was_ surprised at how Kyoko was convinced that this was all doctored. Kanae didn't know much about men and she would never claim that she did but the guy looked pretty well endowed with his rock hard muscles and the size of his package but Kyoko seemed convinced that his muscles had been tighter at the time of this photograph and his package was significantly better.

"How can they do this to him?" she asked and Bella looked at them curiously, she fortunately couldn't see the picture. "I mean, how many people do you think they sold this to?" she asked Kanae as her eyes had a fire behind them. "Moko, how many pictures were there of each celebrity?" she asked and Kanae rolled her eyes.

"About twelve I would say but I don't know if they were holding any in the back," she said and Kyoko nodded slowly.

"And how many were left?" she asked and Kanae looked at the picture. She didn't know what would happen the next time she saw this guy. Even if this picture wasn't really of him, even if it was proven a fake and his body was more of what Kyoko said then she still didn't know how to face him without being grossed out by the fact that she could picture him naked.

"There were only two left when I purchased this," Kanae admitted and Kyoko's eyes narrowed as she stood up, a darkness flowing behind her because of her anger and she put a hand on her napkin, covering it in ice but she immediately stuffed it into her pocket before Moko could see it.

"You're saying that at least ten other people have pictures of my husband like this?" she asked before looking down and shaking her head. These weren't Japanese manners. Japanese people weren't supposed to just go and buy doctored porn, where was the humble reserved spirit of young Japanese people this day and age.

"He's thirty two," Kyoko said and Kanae nodded slowly, "What kind of young woman wants a picture of a naked thirty two year old?" she asked before pausing. Some of the people around her didn't care that she considered herself twenty eight, they thought that she was still twenty two and therefore she could be considered a young woman. If they had been listening they might have got this all wrong, they might have even concluded that she didn't really love him.

"Aren't you…." Kanae began but Kyoko shook her head and put her hand on her heart.

"I'm a twenty eight years old woman who is very much in love with her husband," she said with pride flowing through her and she rolled the photo up, stuffing it into the tube. "And I care about my husband far too much to stand for this kind of trash to be floating around out there. Let's go home, Bella," she said as she noticed that Bella had finished her sundae.

"Isn't Mommy going to finish her ice cream?" she asked and Kyoko sighed. She felt far too angry for that right now.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I've lost my appetite," she said as she felt the tube getting colder. Yes, going home was really the best option right now. Hopefully she wouldn't freeze over the koi pond.

…..

…..

When Kuon arrived with Yashiro in the house, he felt the cold chill and looked at his friend who was amazed at how icy it felt inside the house. Kuon knew that Yashiro would guard any secret that they would bestow in him but it didn't seem right to tell him when Kuu and Julie were being respectful despite their own concern. He looked back at Yashiro, "I'm really sorry but can we meet up again tomorrow. I think that Kyoko is here and she always puts the air conditioning on really high when she's worried about something," he said and Yashiro nodded slowly.

"Do you think it's the pregnancy?" he asked Kuon and Kuon was about to speak before deciding that acting clueless might be best.

"It could be but whatever it is, I know that I'm not going to feel comfortable until I have her wrapped up in my arms," he tried to explain to his friend. "Thank you for coming back though. If Kyoko was in a better mood then I would definitely invite you in."

"Don't worry about it," Yashiro smiled, "I hope things are okay with the two of you," he said before he left.

Kuon rolled himself into the house. He managed to shut the door behind him and tried to figure out where the cold chill was coming from. He really didn't want her to be upset. He found Kyoko with her contact lens out and her wig off, he was very relieved that Yashiro had left at this point, looking at photographs whilst sitting in the middle of the living room floor.

"Princess," Kuon said as he shivered in her presence, "What's going on? Are you okay? Did you ffalll?" he asked whilst shivering from the temperature whilst asking the last question. Kyoko immediately looked up at him and then tried to get herself calm, she looked around desperately as Kuon wheeled himself closer to her.

"Here," Kyoko told him as she handed him two sweaters, the first becoming damp due to the ice covering it. "I….I can't control it," she said and Kuon took the sweaters, slipping them on.

"I know, princess," Kuon told her before putting a hand on her very cold head. "I know that you're having trouble, do you want to talk about it?" he asked and Kyoko opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. Should she even tell Kuon about the vulgar picture? She didn't really know.

"Kuon, you love acting don't you?" she asked as Kuon looked at her and took a deep breath in.

"I love you more," he replied after trying to find the best way to respond. Was she jealous of the idea of him working when she was pregnant? He knew that he would soon be out of the wheelchair and he would be able to move around. If the people in this country wanted him to perform and to see him perform as much as they both knew they did then he would be offered more roles and he would go back to acting professionally. It was his dream. He also wanted to be a father and he wanted his children and wife to be happy, was that worth giving up on his career? "If you're worried about that then I won't do it."

"I can't have you do that," Kyoko laughed as Kuon shook his head.

"If it's what will make you happy, me spending more time with you then I'll spend more time with you. I do really love acting, it makes me feel alive and it's something I've wanted since I was a little boy and could watch my dad act but if it's going to cause you to be unhappy," he said as Kyoko looked at him in a mix of shock and horror.

"No. I want you to act Kuon," she told him, "Please continue to act for me? I love seeing you perform and I know how happy it makes you," she said passionately. "I will always be your biggest fan and I'll fight your dad for that title if need be," she said as he laughed a little and felt the house warming up.

"Okay," Kuon said as he looked at her and Kyoko sighed, pulling out the tube.

"Moko saw an unusual photograph when she was shopping today," she said and Kuon looked at her. Lory had attempted to text him about this disaster but Kuon hadn't checked his messages yet. "I hate what it depicts, it was in one of those stores where they sell those….doctored pictures of famous celebrities."

"And someone photoshopped my head onto someone else's body?" Kuon guessed as Kyoko stared at him and nodded slowly. "Unfortunately," Kuon tried to explain to her, "It's not the first time that this has happened and it most likely won't be the last," he ran a hand through his hair. "How bad is it? How bad is the damage?" he asked and Kyoko looked at him, her hand shaking.

"Are you sure that you want to know?" she asked before pulling the photo out and Kuon rolled his eyes.

"At least they are making an attempt to flatter me," he said before lifting up his fingers and started measuring the length of the part at the corner. "I think they are about this much short," he told her and Kyoko batted at him. "I want it removed of course but I'm sorry if something stupid like this upset you. You knew that it was fake, right? I mean, you have that Kuon Hizuri measurement counter in your head."

"Of course I knew it was fake," Kyoko said before looking down, "I'll try my best to get them to remove it. I don't like the idea of anyone seeing those things but me."

"Because you own my body?" Kuon smiled as Kyoko shook her head.

"I don't ow-"

"Well then I'm giving it to you again," Kuon winked at her and was able to take off the sweaters now that Kyoko had calmed down.

…

…

The next morning, Kyoko made her way into the store whilst trying to keep her breaths calm and measured. She wanted to yell at these people for their stupidity and for making false pictures of her husband to earn themselves fast money. She wanted to say how they were making it so that he was unable to go places without the idea of random strangers seeing what appeared to be him naked. However, she knew that doing that might cause her to lose control and expose herself and she didn't' want these people to gain more attention.

"Oh wow," one of the shop assistants smiled, "You're Kyoko, it's really good to mee-"

"Do you have any respect?" Kyoko asked as she cut them off, mentally apologizing for her bad manners but she wasn't willing to let them think she was here for anything less for battle. "You do understand that he's in a wheelchair, don't you?" she asked and the girl blinked.

"Kuon-sama?" she asked and Kyoko took out the tube.

"Yes, my husband. My friend showed me this," she said as the woman took the poster out of the tube and examined it, her face turning crimson. "This is photoshopped."

"How do you know that?" the girl asked and Kyoko's mouth dropped open.

"Because I'm his _wife_ and have been with him intimately many times," she put a hand over her belly, "You are aware that I'm pregnant with his kid. Don't you sell other posters too and have private signings, I'm sure that many of the people who you sell these nudes of don't want to be associated with you. What if someone took a naked picture of you or worse fabricated it," she had to calm herself because she could feel a little coldness around her. She had to put her trust in the plan.

"I made him look like a god," the girl argued and Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

"The real thing is even better and that's not something that you can argue with me about. I'm the only one with pictures of Kuon naked and I prefer to leave it that way," Kyoko said.

"Really? Can I see?" the girl asked sounding a little desperate and Kyoko laughed.

"You're not his wife," she said as the woman looked at her.

"It's not as if I'm hurting him, I'm making him very attractive to our buyers. It's not offensive to do that to someone if you make them look that good."

"It is offensive," a voice said from behind Kyoko and Kyoko took a step to the side before seeing the panic on the woman's face as she stared at Kuon. "It's also illegal," he told her and the woman started bowing to him, she was obviously a fan which made the situation she had created even worse.

 **End of Chapter Seventy Three**

 **Thank you for choosing to read**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy Two**

Ashenvale: 😉 hope that this chapter explained it 😊

Erza: I hope to do more Kyoko-Bella scenes in the future so I'm glad it was cute

KrisXD: she has a plan of attack in mind

Paulagato: Lots of people in the fic wanted those as well 😉

Undertheskys: Well they need to bond more and Bella loves both her parents though she does have a favorite


	74. Chapter 74 - A Supportive Man

**AN:** I really hope you like it. I am actually planning redemption for Sho but I wanted to show something to make Kyoko angry. Chapter Seventy Six will be the spa treatment for Kyoko and Bella

 **Chapter Seventy Four – A Supportive Man**

Kyoko smiled as she looked at a picture that she had printed out and made into a poster. It had been taken before Kuon had been in the accident and was quite a funny picture. It had both of them naked with Kyoko sitting on Kuon's lap and his hand over her breasts. It was quite tasteful and they had taken it as a joke but if that other picture existed in the world, Kyoko wanted to turn this moment of them as a couple into a poster.

She would put it in their closet so that only she and Kuon would see it. She really hoped that he would have the same feelings that she had. She smiled down upon her belly. Kuon's favorite pictures these days seemed to be the sonograms of the twins. She knew how excited they both were to meet them.

She paused before looking back at the bed where Kuon was sleeping in. He didn't have any work assignments that day but he had taken one on for the next, another photo shoot. It was good to see him finally resting and she didn't want to disturb him. She still couldn't believe how lucky she was that he was _her_ husband. He was gorgeous but it was his inner self, the inner Kuon whom she had really fallen head over heels for.

"Hey," he said with a smile, still with his eyes shut, "I can tell that you're looking at me."

Kyoko froze, how was he able to know that? She blushed and looked at him with a smile.

"Should I _not_ be looking at my very attractive husband," she said as she ran her fingers through her white hair. He had said that the white hair was pretty and he had kissed strands of it and told her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him but she wondered if he meant that. Having white hair was such a change, not being able to control her ice powers was scary to her.

Whenever she would turn the floor to ice or summon in a hurry or snow storm within their own living room, he hadn't gotten angry with her. He had just thrown on a coat or two sweaters, as she had asked him to do and just held her, telling her how much he loved her, until she had calmed down. She wondered if…no, if this had happened all those years ago, those thirteen years ago and she had been living with Sho he would have thought of her as a freak, he would have told her not to come out into public with him in case they connected her….curse as a bad reflection on him.

Kuon had told her it was a gift and that once she learned to control it she could most likely do some truly wonderful things. He had held her ice covered hand and promised to stay by her side, promised that he still loved her and considered himself lucky to be loved by her. He was special and Kyoko knew he would always be special.

"Are you okay?" Kuon asked as Kyoko finally managed to concentrate. She looked into those emerald eyes and smiled with a grin. She was dangerously in love with this man. "It's just you hadn't…spoken for a while," he said before looking at her and reached for her hand. "Bella's birthday is tomorrow," he told her, "We have all of the plans set but I have a…well I want to say gift but it's more of a…performance for you."

"An acting class?" Kyoko asked excitedly and Kuon shook his head as he pushed himself into a seated position on the bed. Grabbing a new walking stick that he had bought the previous day, he managed to get himself onto his feet.

"Pretty sure that you know how to do this," he winked before seeing Kyoko get up, her anxiety reflected strongly in her expression. Kuon managed to put weight on the stick and then stood from the bed and walked over, at a relatively slower pace, to the door. He saw Kyoko's grin and excitement as she shook with anticipation. He managed to use the stick to walk back to the bed.

"Oh my god, that's amazing, Kuon," she said as she clapped excitedly for him and Kuon was reminded of how she had clapped for him as a ten year old. He had done much more impressive things as a child than walking to the door and back. However, if it was possible, Kyoko seemed even more impressed at something so simple.

"That's so great," she said happily as she walked over to him and sat beside him, throwing her arms around him in a side hug. "That's amazing, Kuon! I'm so so happy and I'm so so proud of you, proud to be your wife," she said as she looked at the cane that he had just used.

Sho would have probably mocked him for using this. He would have said that it was stupid and that Kuon should have of course managed to do such a thing but months ago they weren't even sure he was ever going to walk again. "Let's still keep the chair for when we go out but maybe we could use the walker at home," she said and Kuon smiled.

"Sounds like a plan," he told her and Kyoko laughed happily again, throwing her arms around him again.

"I'm so proud," she said with tears in her eyes. "You did it, you're amazing, you're the most amazing person I've ever known. I'm so happy."

"Really?" Kuon asked with a smile and Kyoko nodded eagerly.

"Of course, you are. You're incredible," she said before kissing his cheek and pressing her face into his neck, "I love you so much, Kuon, my prince Corn."

…

…

Kyoko was buying the groceries for her dinner with her family whilst Kuon spent time with Bella. Kyoko really liked seeing her family together so, even with a five and a half month pregnant belly, she did like finding food for them all to eat together. Kuon always gave her such positive comments on the food that he did manage to eat.

Kyoko smiled but then caught sight of a magazine which read 'top fifteen hottest celebrities'. She wanted to see who the competition was with Kuon. She had the feeling that because he had just returned from America and because he hadn't actually done work outside of interviews and the modeling shoot, he wouldn't have even been considered.

She opened it but her eyes caught onto number six, Hizuri Kuon, she smiled happily to herself as she put the magazine into her basket. Sho wasn't even included on the list and the majority of the men were in their twenties. It was amazing that her husband still made such an impact on popular culture.

"I thought it was you, Kyoko," she heard a voice saying and she looked up to see Shoko there. She hadn't seen the woman for ages, well being frozen for six years might do that to someone, and she definitely did look different. Shoko laughed softly as she saw Kyoko's pregnant belly. "Do you need any help?" she asked, "I think we're the same. I'm going to have a baby too but I'm not as far along as -"

Kyoko smiled at Shoko, "How do you know I'm pregnant?" she asked and Shoko's mouth opened.

"I read it in one of the magazines and I've seen a couple of the interviews with Kuon talking about it," she said before her eyes widened, "Please don't think of me as a woman who takes guesses on whether a woman is pregnant," she said and Kyoko smiled.

"I'm glad that you found somebody to have a baby with," she said before Shoko looked away and nodded but the smile had gone from her face. "You do have somebody, right?"

"It was one of our casual nights where we just had sex," Shoko said as she paled, "I…I thought that it would turn into more but then he disappeared. It's okay though, it was my fault that it happened. I'd been attracted to him for a while but when he found out that I was going to have a baby, he panicked and left."

Kyoko looked at her confused, "When you say 'he' are you talking about someone I might know?" she asked and Shoko paused.

"Yes, I found out quite soon, only a couple of weeks after it had happened and when I told him, he went to America. I thought that he was just trying to get some time to relax and think about things but then I haven't seen him since. He fired me and has other representation now."

Kyoko felt herself getting angry and the handle of the basket start to harden. Part of it broke off and she managed to catch herself and calm down before anything weirder happened. She could be angry because she knew that that little runt had come to see her and tried to mess up her life but she didn't need for people to know about her powers.

"I can't believe that he would do that to you, I thought he would have matured," Kyoko said before sighing, "You're far too good for him," she said and Shoko smiled. Kyoko knew that if she knew Sho's location she would confront him about this. Sure, Sho wasn't in a loving and committed marriage like she was with Kuon but he was still a man. He was still going to be a father and if he wasn't mature enough to face that kind of responsibility then she would have to confront him about it.

"I'm happy that our paths crossed, Shoko-san," Kyoko smiled, "I would bow but it's hard with the twins in here," she said as Shoko smiled and looked away into the distance. "You're amazing and I can't believe him. After all the time that the two of you have spent together," Kyoko had to calm herself again and fortunately the next question did make her relax.

"How are things going between you and Kuon?" she asked and Kyoko smiled peacefully.

"He's amazing," she smiled, "He's my best friend and my husband. I'm so lucky to have him," she said feeling even more fortunate that Kuon was preparing himself to be father to more kids and that he hadn't been scared off by her abnormal powers. He easily could have been but he had stayed there and supported her, having more confidence in her than she even had in herself.

 **End of Chapter Seventy Four**

 **Thank you for choosing to read this chapter**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy Three**

Ashenvale: Glad you liked it and it's not good to photoshop people's bodies 😉

Kris XD: Kyoko has it all planned out 😊

Ktoll9: I have to decide whether or not Kyoko makes a doll of the older Kuon. Maybe a good luck doll 😊

Paulagato: Of course 😊 Kyoko loves Kuon more than she loves anyone (sorry Moko)

Undertheskys: Well only Kyoko gets to have naked pictures of Kuon

 **Personal AN:** I'm not going to elaborate on it here but after thinking that I was free and clear when it came to the breakdown I had at work (because of my bipolar) I got into work today to find that the rep from HR was there. Apparently my position was under review and I might get a final warning because I cried on the sales floor, of course because the company "doesn't discriminate" they pulled up information from 2016 until 2018 to prove that I was an unfit personality. My manager even said that I was cursing in the break room (untrue) that I often made sexual comments on the floor (untrue) and that my personality was toxic to the work environment. They pulled up anything and everything they could to use against me to "prove" that it "wasn't based on my disability". I have never felt so insulted by a WORK event. They painted me as someone I'm not to cover their own asses legally. So, I applied to some new jobs and am handing in a resume and application to a job at a grocery store that I'd really like so please keep your fingers crossed for me and thank you for your support.


	75. Chapter 75 - Flirting with You

**AN:** Thank you for choosing to read. I hope that I can get a new job soon but I've put in so much time, effort, and hard work that I just need a change because I deserve better than the treatment they give me

 **Chapter Seventy Five – Flirting with You**

Kyoko grinned as she put the bags down that she was carrying from the last store. There were already bags being held for them at various shops but since they were just going to eat a casual dinner, Kuon and Kyoko had decided to take their shopping from the last shop with them. "Do you remember this restaurant?" she winked at him as they entered and Kuon sighed.

"Sadly, I still don't think that they've got frogs legs on their menu," he grinned. Kyoko smiled and kissed his cheek before the host stopped and looked at them, "Is something wrong?" Kuon asked and the waiter shook his head.

"You two wanted the booth in the corner, correct?" he asked them and Kuon nodded looking to Kyoko who was staring at the nervous host.

"Is…" Kuon rolled his eyes, "It'll be fine," he said with a kind smile to the young man. The man stared at them, hesitating again but Kuon got to his feet and managed to step over to the booth whilst Kyoko moved the wheelchair into the corner.

"Is it okay to just leave it here?" she asked as the waiter sighed in relief and nodded. "Thank you," she told him before he passed them their menus and Kyoko reached out to hold Kuon's hand. "We did a lot of shopping today, the boys should have their room well decorated when we're done," she said excitedly as she smiled at him. "You don't have to eat a lot if you don't want to but…could you try and order a meal?" she asked, "or at least an entrée."

"I'll do my best," Kuon smiled at her a grin on his face, "I promise to try."

"That is all that I ask," Kyoko said as she held his hand in both of hers. "I'm so happy to be Mrs. Kyoko Hizuri," she said as Kuon saw that with her belly, she didn't have much room. "I'm okay," Kyoko reassured him before he could even speak and she placed a hand over her stomach. "The three of us are okay and Bella is enjoying the day before her birthday with her grandparents so I'm sure that she's okay too."

Kyoko grinned before her eyes caught onto something very unpleasant, she frowned and tried to concentrate on her menu before seeing that the blond haired individual was with a gorgeous woman in her mid twenties. Okay, enough was enough. "Sweetheart," she said as she reached for Kuon's hand, her own hand going between warm and cold and Kuon looked at her concerned.

"Do you need to leave? Maybe we can get take out or ask for them to hold our table," he said as he looked at her and stared at her hand. He didn't want her to feel exposed or uncomfortable as much as she didn't want him to feel exposed or uncomfortable. "Princess?" he asked and Kyoko took a very deep breaths.

"Can you excuse me for a moment?" she asked and Kuon looked at her, his eyes showing panic.

"I can come with you, let me come with you," he said and Kyoko kissed the hand that was holding onto hers. "Kyoko, if there's something wrong then please tell me. I won't…"

"Can you order me this dish if the waitress comes?" she asked and Kuon nodded, his eyes never losing contact with hers. He wasn't sure what was going on but he hated to see Kyoko upset. He squeezed her hand lovingly.

"Of course," he nodded and kissed the back of her hand again. He just wanted to make sure that she was safe but he trusted that she knew how to take care of herself even with her new powers. "I love you," he told her and she grinned at him.

"Well, that I do know, I love you too," she told him before letting go of his hand and walking over to the table where Sho was sitting with, Kyoko assumed, his date.

"Hi," she said as she put her hands on their table, the girl looking at her as if she were the rudest person ever whilst Sho looked at her in horror and then at her belly before laughing.

"Wow, you really got fat," he said as he raised an eyebrow and Kyoko rolled her eyes, "When you're with a mentally deficient loser, I guess you can really let yourself go and not even make an attempt to look beautiful," Kyoko looked back at Kuon who had anger in his eyes but she put her hand up to gesture for him to keep his own cool.

"I'm pregnant, you idiot. I'm in a loving marriage with mutual affection and trust which is more than you've ever had. Furthermore, how _dare_ you insult my husband. Yes, I took comfort in you being a friend to me but I regret it now. You will never match up to Kuon and he's healed really well because he's strong and dedicated and never stops working. On the other hand, _you_ , she said with a soft laugh, "you wouldn't be able to accomplish what he has."

"See," Sho laughed, "This is why you shouldn't have girls who are obsessed with you. It makes my life harder as a celebrity," he commented and Kyoko laughed bitterly.

"I am obsessed with a guy," she nodded, "Fortunately, he's also the guy whose children are in my womb and has given me this," she held up her ring finger. "What you should have is your regret of how you left Shouko after all that she's done for you. At least be there for her when she's having your…." Kyoko sighed. She knew that Sho probably didn't want the press to know and he would try to get his revenge if she besmudged his reputation.

"If you don't go and find out how you can help her, I'll let the press know about what's going on and I'll get _her_ blessing to do so. So go and talk to her you selfish creep," she said before seeing Kuon talking to the hostess who had approached him, she smiled as she saw him take her menu and point to it as he ordered her meal for her.

"Seems your husband has his own fanclub," Sho said as they both noticed how the woman had put her hand on Kuon's shoulder, had turned bright red, and kept laughing nervously. Kyoko could also see Kuon's gentleman smile as she had her hand on his shoulder. She knew that if he weren't worried about how he came off, he would have a look of disgust on his face. "That's what flirting looks like."

Kyoko laughed, "You think that I have to be worried about interaction like that," she said as the waitress pretended to trip onto Kuon who promptly got her to her feet. How much of an idiot was this woman turning herself into? Kuon was a married man and she could tell that he was trying to help her but that there was absolutely no attraction on his side.

"Well, if you trust him as much as you say you do then why -"

"Because I trust him enough to know that he doesn't cheat on me or have the idea of cheating on me. If you can't remember, he spent six years on his own and remained in love with me. If I feel threatened by another woman, I am doing him a disservice as his wife," Kyoko sighed before looking at Sho. "Meanwhile, you tried to pull me away from him when Shoko told you she needed you and now you're on a date with another woman. You make me sick," she said before rolling her eyes again.

She pointed at him again, "Take care of your situation or I'll show the world that you're the type of guy who can't," she told him before making her way back to the booth. "Hi," she smiled to the waitress, "Did you place my order," she said before smiling at the woman with a fire in her eyes. "Is there something else that you need from my husband?" she asked as Kuon smiled naturally.

"Oh no I…" she stumbled over her words and Kyoko nodded.

"Good, please give us some time to wait privately, if that's okay. Thank you for your hard work," she said and looked at Kuon as he shrugged. Finally they were left alone and Kuon gave a soft smile.

"Jealous?" he teased her and Kyoko shook her head.

"Actually no, I don't tend to feel jealous anymore," she said as he looked at her confused. He opened his mouth to speak but Kyoko lifted a finger to stop him, "I don't feel jealous because I trust you," she saw him smile. "I know that when you finish your jobs you'll come back to me, that you won't sway in your emotions, that you're open to the world and you'll help me when I need you. All those reasons and more are why I love you," she reminded him.

Kuon smiled again, "She'll be back with our food," he told her before looking at the blond before turning around to look at his wife. "So, did everything get sorted with Fuwa?" he asked her and Kyoko took a deep breath in and sighed.

"I don't think so but it's really his duty to fix it," she said and Kuon looked at her confused, "He got his manager pregnant," she whispered, "and he doesn't want to deal with it. He's definitely not like you, I mean if you got your mana-"

"Me getting Yashiro pregnant is not an image that I can deal with, thank you," Kuon told her and Kyoko laughed softly. "I can't believe that guy is such a jerk. This is low even for him."

…

…

" _Let me know if there's anything else I can help you two with," the waitress smiled at the thirty-year-old Kuon as he sat in a diner with Isabella. Bella had seemed upset about not performing as highly as she wanted on a test and so Kuon had taken the day off to spend time with her. They had gone to a diner that she liked even though he wasn't looking forward to eating._

" _Can I just say that you're gorgeous, I know you're a famous actor so I'm sorry but I had to tell you that. You look even more amazing in person," the waitress said and Kuon turned to her with a Ren type of smile._

" _Thank you very much, it's nice to know that people -" he began but the woman continued._

" _I know that you don't have a girlfriend," she continued before smiling, "and I've seen you in here before. Would it be okay if I gave you my pho-"_

" _No thank you," Kuon smiled, the gentleman's smile increasing in level. "I'm not interested in going out on dates with anyone. I still have a woman that I love with my entire being," he said before the waitress apologized and went to take their order in._

 _Kuon took a sip of the water they had served the two of them and Bella looked up at him innocently._

" _Daddy, were they flirting with you?" she asked a little louder than she intended._

" _Yes, but please try to use a soft voice, okay? We wouldn't want to embarrass her, you have to be respectful of other people," he told Bella as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Are you looking forward to your meal?" he asked her and Bella nodded._

" _Then are you going to go on a date with her?" she asked and Kuon shook his head, "Why not? That's what happens in the movies."_

" _Because I'm not interested in her, her flirting didn't work on me," Kuon attempted to explain and Bella giggled._

" _She's bad at it," she said before seeing Kuon look at her in a way that made her reconsider her words, "But maybe she'll get better if she takes lessons," she said as Kuon shook his head with a smile at how adorable his daughter was._

 **End of Chapter Seventy Five**

 **Thank you for choosing to read**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Seventy Four:**

 **Thank you so much for those who supported my personal pain and anxiety** **It means a lot to me. I'm going to focus on the comments on the story though**

Ashenvale: That's true, I have to have faith in myself 😊

Crazy4Animation: I'm hoping to look into the way she was frozen in future chapters and yeah, Kuon is already a great father to Bella but now he'll have little boys to take care of in addition.

Erza: I'm not but I'm trying to move forward, with every fall I've had, I've learned more about myself and life.

KrisXD: Well Kyoko will definitely make her feelings known

Ktoll9: I think so too but Kyoko still feels a need to get her thoughts out

Paulagato: Well if you call that reasoning then she has 😊


	76. Chapter 76 - Happy Birthday Bella

**AN:** I really hope that you enjoy this chapter. I'm still in waiting to see if anyone wants to interview me but I'm feeling better about that. I do have a cold right now so it was harder to write this chapter, I hope you still enjoy it. Oh, and Happy Easter!

 **Chapter Seventy Six – Happy Birthday Bella**

Kyoko smiled as she watched Kuon in the kitchen, he had been able to make pancakes for the little family because he knew how much Bella loved his pancakes. Kyoko had tried to move everything lower so that Kuon would be able to sit down and do it and although seeing him standing always made her nervous, she knew that he was trying his best for Bella.

"They smell delicious," she commented with a grin as she continued to watch him. Kuon grinned back.

"Did you want to go see if she's awake?" he asked with a smile and Kuon nodded, "You two will be able to go, right? The appointment is in a couple of hours,"

"I will be just fine," Kyoko told him before walking over to him and left a small love bite on his neck. He chuckled at that and Kyoko draped her arms over his shoulders. "I love you," she whispered into his ear before stealing a taste of the batter on the rim of the bowl. "Delicious," she grinned and Kuon smiled down at her.

"Really? I haven't been testing it," he slid a hand across her cheek and put his finger underneath her chin, he lifted her face and kissed her passionately on the lips. "Mmm, delicious," he said as Kyoko kissed him again.

Kyoko took a step back before feeling the boys waking up, "Here," she said as she put Kuon's hand on her belly. He grinned, his face lighting up as he felt them kicking. "Happy Seven Years of being a father," she said again before making her way to Bella's room. She couldn't wait to spend the day with her daughter.

Bella was sitting on the edge of her bed talking to one of her toys. Hearing her voice, Kyoko knocked on the door before pushing it open. "Hi, sweetie," she grinned, "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you," Bella smiled before giving Kyoko a hug. She laughed as one of her brother's kicked her. "They want to celebrate too," she joked with a grin and Kyoko laughed at that.

"Of course they do, they'll be celebrating all of your upcoming birthdays with you," she said as she placed her hand on Bella's shoulder. "Let's go downstairs," she said and Bella nodded. She went ahead of her mother and watched Kyoko walking down slowly due to her pregnant belly.

"Where's Daddy?" Bella asked and Kyoko gestured to the kitchen where the smell of the delicious pancakes was wafting out to them and pleasing their senses. "Wow, Daddy's cooking for me?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes. He loves you, Bella. He really hopes that you'll have an amazing day today," Kyoko said and Bella smiled again as she went to sit at the table and eagerly await the breakfast before she could have her presents and cards. Her dad usually spoiled her on her birthday.

…

…

Bella had opened some presents from her family including a makeup kit for seven year olds that Kyoko had found and a number of stickers and other art supplies. The next and final gift for the morning – Kyoko had one for when they were at the salon together – was a large box that Kuon had picked out from him and Kyoko. Bella looked at the box, holding it in her hands and paused not sure what it was.

"This one was something Daddy picked out," Kyoko commented with a smile to Kuon. Kyoko knew that it wasn't the type of present that she would have expected as a child but she would have been thrilled to receive it, then again with the way that she was brought up, she was happy to receive any present.

Kyoko watched as Isabella took the paper off of the box and Kuon held his breath, his eyes watching her, studying her. Was he actually nervous to see how she would react to a present from _him_. Bella adored him and nearly everything he bought her, he was so thoughtful.

"Oh my god!" Bella squealed as she looked at the box in front of her. It was a foozball table. She grabbed the box, looking at all the pictures as she started to bounce excitedly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she smiled before going to hug her dad. Kuon picked her up, set her on his lap and embraced her close. "Daddy, thank you."

"It's from your mother as well," Kuon reminded her as he kissed her forehead.

"Thank you," Bella smiled back to Kyoko. She looked back at the box and grinned. Kuon had tried to find one that had girl figures instead of traditional male figures since Bella would often try to talk to him about the unfair nature of the sport to favor male players over female players but he hadn't been able to. It didn't seem to be such a big issue to Bella though.

"We'll have to play together sometime," Kyoko said and Bella nodded.

"Daddy and I played a few times, it's really fun," Bella giggled as she opened the box and looked at it more closely. She put the lid on with her smile still on her face. "I'll teach you," she told her mother and Kyoko smiled.

"Thank you, Bella. I'll be very excited to learn," she said and Kuon watched the two of them. Kyoko looked at Bella and hummed, "Do you know how to play badminton?" she asked and Bella looked uneasy.

"I've only played it a couple of times," she said and Kyoko nodded.

"I was really good at badminton when I was young, if you'd like to learn then I'd love to teach you some moves," she said and Bella nodded.

"I'd love to learn," she said and Kuon smiled as he felt glad to see them bonding. He knew that Kyoko enjoyed a handful of sports, maybe that could be a common hobby for them and maybe there were some games they could all play together. He was more athletic than Kyoko but he loved how she was trying her best to know Bella though her many many interests.

…

…

Kyoko grinned as the manicurist put alternating nail gloss onto Bella's fingers. They had both had a neck massage and a facial as well as Bella being treated like a princess and having her hair washed and her head massaged – Kyoko had managed to get out of having her hair touched – and now they were having manicures and pedicures.

Kyoko had sneakily taken pictures and videos of her daughter as well as having several photos taken of the two of them. She had seen Bella's smile so much today and she was very happy that the idea had come to life. She really did love being treated like a princess and she felt that Isabella felt the same thing. Kuon would of course be a father who would want to spoil his precious daughter.

"Those are very pretty colors, Bella," she said and Bella nodded as the professional had painted her thumbs a pastel blue and then alternated with the pastel blue and pastel pink. Her toes were the same colors but the bottom half of the nail was pink then the middle purple and the top blue in stripes.

"Thank you so much," Kyoko said to the woman who had been making Bella feel so special that day. Soon it would be time for Bella's hair to be styled and Kyoko knew that she was excited to see how it would turn out. "Bella," Kyoko said and Bella looked at her, "I have a gift from Daddy and I to give to you when your hair is done," she smiled and Bella looked at her.

"Did you pick it out?" she asked curiously and Kyoko smiled.

"Well, I found it but Daddy loves it as well. We thought that it'd be a gift that we could give you from the both of us but I know it'll be even more special if it's after your hair is done," she said and Bella nodded. She looked into her mother's eyes and grinned.

"Okay, are you having your hair done too?" Bella asked and Kyoko shook her head.

"No, it's because there are special ointments in the shampoo," she said quietly so not to be corrected by the stylists, "and I don't want to risk anything hurting the boys," she said and Bella nodded.

"Don't do it then," she giggled, "because I really am excited to have little brothers."

Kyoko grinned, "Me too," she said as she waited for their nails to dry. She had just had a simple clear, very safe coating put on top of hers. Who knew how these chemicals would affect the powers inside of her.

…

…

Kyoko took a few more pictures of Bella as they sat in the spa. She could see the woman allowing Bella to choose an inexpensive and yet high quality tiara to wear. The woman had asked Bella how she wanted her hair to look and Bella had asked to have it like Belle's when she danced with the Beast. Kyoko loved how proud she was of her name even though it was based off of a Disney princess.

As Bella had jewels put in her hair, Kyoko walked over to her and both of them thanked the stylist.

"Wow, oh my gosh," Kyoko grinned happily, her eyes lighting up like they had done when she had been a sixteen year old. "You look so much like a princess, you're so adorable Bella and so beautiful," she said and Bella nodded.

"Thank you," she said before smiling at her mother, "This was really fun. I liked doing this with you, Mommy," she said and Kyoko's grin grew even more and she slowly and gently pulled Bella into her chest.

"You're welcome, it was really a treat for me to do this with you, Bella," Kyoko smiled and put her hand on Bella's back. "We need more days like this between the two of us, right?" she winked and then pulled out a box from her bag. "This is a special gift for special occasions, okay?" she smiled before she handed Bella the box.

Bella opened it up to see a handmade piece of jewelry. There was a gem that looked like Princess Rosa but smaller inside and it was sitting in a rose that looked like it had gems on the outside of it. Kyoko had put this together, feeling that it would be something Bella would like and something that would link the three of them together.

"It's a baby Princess Rosa," Bella smiled as her hands shook and she threw her arms over her mother again. "Can I really have it?" she asked as Kyoko laughed. "Is it mine?"

"It is, would you like me to help you put it on?" Kyoko asked and Bella nodded excitedly but then looked in the mirror, she sighed in relief noticing that her hair had stayed in place. She felt her mother's hands on her shoulder as she put the necklace around her and Bella touched the jewelry as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She really felt just like a princess, tears in her eyes as she looked at herself. She had always wanted a mother who could do this with her.

"Thank you," she said and Kyoko shook her head.

"You're welcome, Bella, I love you so much," she said and Bella reached out for her hand.

"I love you too," she replied and Kyoko screamed in happiness in her head as she spent that precious moment with her daughter. Kyoko pulled out her phone again and saw a text message that Kuon would be waiting for them in their meeting spot. She would reply to that in just a moment but she desperately wanted a picture of this moment. Her and her baby girl. The only thing that would make the picture better would be a certain blond man being in there as well. Well, maybe later.

 **End of Chapter Seventy Six**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy Five:**

KrisXD: Well, I think he'll get his act together….eventually

Ktoll9: I think he will one day 😉

Undertheskys: Bella didn't understand at that age that Kuon's heart has Kyoko written all over it


	77. Chapter 77 - Birthday Cakes

**AN:** Hope you enjoy this 😊 Next chapter I'm planning on them doing the kitten adoption 😊 I've also decided to turn my anger at my manager (who is definitely using discrimination against disability and then lying to my face about it) into a dark original story akin to Edgar Allen Poe and a less horrific Stephen King. It's the genre I love the most when it comes to original stories 😊

 **Chapter Seventy Seven – Birthday Cakes**

Bella smiled as she held her mother's hand and went to a small park where she could see Kuon, she rushed to him and Kuon grinned as he saw how happy she was. He loved her smile, seeing either her or Kyoko smile would wash away all of his worries and all of his pain. He looked up at Kyoko and then wrapped his arms around Bella, pulling her onto his lap as he sat in the wheelchair.

"Hi, princess, you look so adorable," he said as he kissed her forehead and Bella wrapped her arms around her father, she always felt safe in his arms. She liked how she could feel the rise and fall of his chest, she liked the smell of him that made her feel at home. "I love your hair and aren't your nails pretty," he said as Bella showed him. "How do you like the gift from Mommy?" he asked and Bella looked at her mother.

"Mommy said it was from both of us," she said and Kuon nodded, he put a hand on her shoulder and smiled as he took her in, she did look very calm and he could see the great job the spa/salon had done. He looked at Kyoko who looked incredibly happy as well.

"I take it that both of my girls had fun," he said and Kyoko nodded.

"It was so much fun" Bella said excitedly, "Mommy had her fingers done and she had a massage and a facial and I had a facial and a massage and I got my fingers and toes done and I had my head massages and I had it styled and I got a tiara," she said all in one breath and Kuon nodded along.

He put one hand on her back protectively before squeezing her close again. "It definitely sounds like a lot of fun," he grinned as he kissed her again. "Are you ready to go and eat dessert?" he asked and Bella nodded, stepping off of his lap and holding Kyoko's hand again.

"Can we pause for just one second?" she asked and Kuon and Bella looked at her and blinked. "Bella, can you get back on Daddy's lap?" she asked and Bella nodded, doing so and Kyoko pulled out her phone and squatted a little so that she could take a picture of the three of them together. She had really wanted to preserve this day, this special day that the three of them could share together.

"Thank you," Kyoko said and Bella nodded.

"You'll send me that, right?" Kuon asked as Kyoko kissed his cheek.

"Of course I will," she promised and Bella climbed off of his lap again. "Our beautiful little girl and her beyond handsome father, I think I'll treasure that forever," she said and Kuon looked at her.

"Not to mention her beautiful mother and my stunning wife," Kuon told her and Kyoko shook her head with a soft laugh.

"I remember being considered quite plain in the past, like a wet noodle," she said and Kuon laughed, holding her hand and running his thumb over the back of it.

"Never by me. I've always considered you beautiful, it's your heart which matters most to me," he said and Kyoko smiled again. She looked over at Bella who was watching them excitedly.

"So next the dessert bar?" she asked and turned to her father, "Daddy, you'll try to eat some, right?" she asked and Kuon nodded.

"Maybe they have some wine gelee," he said and Kyoko put a hand on her heart to stop it from beating too fast. She loved him, she loved him more and more each day. She was so fortunate that their paths had crossed, so lucky to have him.

"Okay, let's go," she said before walking beside Kuon with Isabella's hand in her own. She would have to make every birthday amazing especially to make up for all the birthdays she had missed for both her daughter and her husband.

…

…

" _Happy birthday, Bella" the twenty-eight year old smile to his three year old as she played with her crayons. She hadn't opened her gifts yet, Kuon was trying to save those for when her grandparents came over so that they would have a nice family celebration. Kuon looked at the picture that was hanging on the wall of Kyoko with him and the infant Bella. It had been so long._

" _Happy birthday, Daddy" Bella giggled and Kuon laughed gently._

" _Bella, it's your birthday not Daddy's," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "You're not a tiny toddler anymore," he told her. "Your birthday is going to be really special this year. Let's try to make this next year the best ever," he tried to say excitedly._

" _Yeah, that sounds fun," Bella told him and Kuon let his hand run through her blonde hair._

 _He didn't know how he was doing as a father but he would try his hardest to make up for the loss of her mother by trying to make sure he did everything right as her daddy. He didn't want to think about what would have happened had he not had the help and support from his own parents._

" _Bella, are you excited to be spending your birthday with Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa?" he asked and Bella nodded._

" _Am I going to get presents?" she asked innocently, reaching across for a stuffed bunny that Kuon had bought her for her second birthday. Kuon grinned, chuckling softly._

" _Of course, what is a princess's birthday without presents?" he asked and Bella smiled, hugging her Daddy close and Kuon picked her up. He kissed her all over her face to make her laugh. She was still so tiny in his arms but year after year she would get bigger. He wondered if he would still be able to impress her when she was a teenager. He wondered how much she would resemble her mother when she was sixteen._

" _I'm trying my best, princess," he whispered to the picture of Kyoko. Bella snuggled into his warm arms and Kuon kissed her a few more times on the top of her head. He really wanted to make her birthdays special but he knew that any birthday would be made even more special if Kyoko were there with him. He wanted to do her proud with how he celebrated their daughter's special day. Hopefully he wasn't letting her down._

…

…

"Daddy, try this one," Bella said as she put a piece of dark chocolate cake onto her dad's plate. Kuon looked at it and then picked up his fork, taking a bite of it. He smiled as he ate it and Kyoko leaned over to him.

"Feel free to eat as much as you want," she said before whispering, "I brought some antacids if you need them."

Kuon smiled in thanks to Kyoko, he looked at Bella who was very excited about trying the different desserts. This buffet restaurant was a little expensive, there were many dessert buffets that were less expensive but it was Isabella's birthday, only the best would do.

Kuon smiled as Bella started to eat a caramel pudding and he smiled at her as Kyoko stared at the dessert on the plate, she would always be reminded of Shotaro when she saw that. Still, Isabella had so much more importance to her than Shotaro. She enjoyed seeing her take such pleasure in what she was eating and Kyoko felt that she was doing a good job at being a mother to the little girl.

She saw Kuon take a sip of the black coffee and closed her eyes with a smile. It was a good idea to get something to balance out the sweetness. If this wasn't something that Bella had wanted to do then Kuon wouldn't be trying so hard. He rarely ate desserts and when he did it was never in a place like this.

"So, what stores would you like to visit after we've finished?" Kuon asked with a grin to Bella as she ate another dessert and Bella shared the same grin with her dad.

"The Disney Store? The Sanrio Store?" she asked and Kuon laughed.

"Of course, we'll have to definitely look at those and see what else we find along the way, I'm looking forward to it," he said and Kyoko nodded.

"I am as well, have you thought of what restaurant you'd like to go to for dinner?" she asked Bella who thought about it and looked at her dessert. She hummed as she swung her fork in the air from side to side before looking at her daddy.

"Can we go to Moz Burger?" she asked and Kuon smiled and nodded before turning to Kyoko.

"I think that that would be good," Kuon stated and looked at Kyoko with a grin. "How do you feel about that?"

"It sounds nice," Kyoko said before grinning to Bella, "I think your brothers would love it if we ate there as well," she said playfully. "Did your daddy ever tell you that before I started acting, I worked at a Moz Burger," Kyoko smiled to her daughter but she appeared to be stabbing the cake in front of her. Kuon quickly reached out for her hand and smiled. He knew that her past still haunted her, all of those hours of work where she wasn't even able to enjoy the paycheck.

He knew where this anger had come from and he just hoped that one day he would wipe that early part of her life off of her mind.

"People have all different types of jobs, Bella, but as long as you're doing your best every day to work hard and achieve your goals then you can't look down at people because of different jobs. Daddy would hate to look down at the crew that works on his movies," he tried to explain.

"Because you should never undervalue hard work," Bella smiled to her father and Kyoko smiled to her. She could tell that this was some feeling that Kuon had bestowed in her and Kyoko was proud that her husband was able to do that for her daughter even when he was raising her alone. It reminded her of how she had felt in the Love Me section and how each job was a job worth doing well.

She was thinking about that as a couple of young college aged women came over to the table. She sighed, couldn't people just leave the three of them alone? It was Bella's birthday. She looked to Kuon who was giving a gentleman's smile and the women who were blushing and turning a deep red.

"Kuon-sama," one of them squeaked, "I'm so sorry to disturb you but I didn't know if there would ever be another opportunity," she looked at her companion as Kuon managed to give them his full attention.

"Can we have your autograph," the second woman smiled.

"I'm sorry, I'm really flattered but my wife and I are celebrating my daughter's birthday. However," he took out a card, "Please contact my manager and I'll be sure to sign something for the two of you when I'm next working," he said and Bella looked at them with a happy smile.

"You can have my autograph," she said excitedly as the two women looked awkwardly between each other. They looked at Bella and opened their mouth not sure what to say.

"How about all three of us sign for you?" Kuon asked and the two women nodded quickly. Kuon quickly asked them their names and signed before passing it to Kyoko. Finally Kyoko handed it to Bella who signed the papers with a huge grin on her face.

Kuon looked at the women who were seeing the enjoyment on his daughter's face. Maybe one day his daughter would be giving more autographs because she really did look so proud to be doing so. He just hoped whatever her dreams for the future included, she would always be able to smile like that.

 **End of Chapter Seventy Seven**

 **Thank you for choosing to read this chapter**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy Six**

Crazy4Animation: Well Kyoko has definitely redeemed herself in Bella's eyes 😊

Erza: I'm glad you liked it 😊 I'm trying to mix drama and angst with fluff and cute these days

KrisXD: Hope you found this one sweet as well 😉

Undertheskys: Bella definitely is starting to love her mother even more 😊


	78. Chapter 78 - Kittens with Claws

**AN:** I hope you like this chapter 😊 I know that the end might have mixed feelings but I hope that you enjoy the surprise twist.

 **Chapter Seventy Eight – Kittens with Claws**

Kuon grinned as he looked at the cats. He had his first appointment for his new job at LME later that day but the morning he got to spend with his wife and daughter looking for their new family pet. They had gone to the pet store where people had brought in their foster care kittens. Bella had gravitated towards a very fluffy white kitten with an expressive tail. The kitten was only three month old, or so they predicted, and had been found in a ditch outside one day.

"How about this one?" Bella asked with a grin as she turned with the kitten in her arms.

The kitten was squirming just a little as it tried to see what was going on but Kuon could see that it was actually quite calm and happy with Bella, it was just a curious little thing. Kyoko smiled at Bella and looked at the kitten. This was a female kitten and Kyoko liked that it had medium length hair, it would be nice to groom and take care of.

"I like her, she's really sweet," Kyoko said as she let her finger go through the kitten's fur.

"Let's go see if we can get her," Kuon grinned and Bella nodded. They had already bought a carry case to get the kitten back home but they would still need to pick out some other things like toys and food and a bed and nearly everything else.

"You two hold onto the kitten, I'll try and talk to the foster care owner," he said before rolling himself to where the woman who had brought some of the kittens stood. She smiled as she saw who it was and then dropped down into a bow.

"Kuon-san," she said, "I'm a huge fan of yours. Is there something that I can help you with?"

"We'd like to adopt the kitten my daughter is holding," Kuon said and the woman looked to see which of the kittens was in Bella's arm. "Would that be possible?"

"Of course it would be," the woman nodded, "I'll get the paperwork."

"So we'll be able to take the kitten home today?" he asked and the woman nodded, "That's great news. Could you help us select some things for the kitten?" the woman nodded again.

"Usually, we do a home inspection before we let someone adopt a kitten but in your case, I don't think that will be necessary so we can skip that. She's such a lucky little kitten to be adopted by the great Hizuri family," the woman said and Kuon smiled. He wasn't sure that the woman should be telling him so many good things about his family but he didn't want to correct her. Bella loved that kitten already, they would have to take her home.

"Thank you, we're looking forward to her being a part of our family as well," Kuon nodded as the paperwork was drawn up. He signed off on where the kitten had had her shots, her personal breed information, and the adoption paper. In the spot where it said owner though he put 'Isabella Hizuri' instead of his own name.

The woman smiled as she had the forms returned to her, "Do you have a name for the kitten?" she asked and Bella nodded.

"Marie," she said as she heard the kitten mew up to her in response. "I think that she likes her name," Bella squealed and the kitten mewed again.

Once all the papers were signed, Kuon walked over to his family with the carry cage, "We'll need to put her in here, just for a little bit so we don't lose her," he said as Bella gently dropped the kitten inside the top of the cage, being extra careful so that she didn't hurt the animal.

"Would you like Daddy to hold her outside whilst you and Mo-" Kuon started but was interrupted by Kyoko who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Mommy will hold the kitten outside whilst Bella and Daddy get some things for her," she said as she took the cage and grinned at the small and confused kitten inside. Kuon looked at her, he opened his mouth as if to argue but Kyoko shook her head. "Bella and I had a lot of fun with just the two of us yesterday, I think this will be fun for the two of you to do together."

Bella nodded in agreement, "Come on, Daddy. We have to get Marie some toys to play with," she said and Kuon followed her as she led him away.

…

…

An hour later the family was back at the house and Marie was allowed to come out and explore her new home. She took nervous footsteps as she looked around the new environment. Kuon watched her hoping that Bella understood it might take a little time for her to get used to it. "So," he grinned as he got out the bed that they had bought for her. "Where is she going to sleep?"

"How about my room?" Bella asked and Kuon hummed about that. He turned to Kyoko hoping that she would answer, it wasn't that he didn't trust Bella for Marie to sleep in her room but he worried that Maria would constantly be waking Bella up and exhausting the little girl.

"How about in the laundry room?" Kyoko asked and Bella pouted.

"She might be too cold in there, too cold and too scared," she argued and Kyoko turned to Kuon.

"I don't see any problem with her being in your room, at least for the first few nights," she stated and Bella grinned, she turned to her Daddy who nodded in agreement, "but let's put her food and litter box near the laundry room so that we can clean it up easily.

"Okay," Bella said as she took the bowls out of the bag and went towards the room, putting them down near the door. "How about there?" she asked and Kyoko smiled back at her.

"How about a little further back so Marie doesn't get hit by the door?" she suggested and Bella did so. Once her food was set down, Kyoko brought in the litter box to put in the same room as her food but far enough away not to cause problems for her. Bella saw Marie approach them cautiously, she was starting to see what her new living accommodations would be.

She had a new home and they had a new addition to the family, this was a great start to the day.

…..

…..

 _Isabella had just turned six and after celebrating with her friends and playing soccer, Kuon had proposed the idea of going bird watching to her. Isabella had gone bird watching with her dad in the past, she loved how excited he would get when he would spot a bird and his excitement had definitely awakened her passion for it._

 _The idea of bird watching was something she was looking forward to and as she followed her dad through a quiet, wooded area, she felt special. Maybe most of her friends wouldn't like the idea of going into the woods with their dad and just waiting to see how many types of birds they could see, Bella loved the time when it was just the two of them together._

" _Let's just sit here for a little bit," Kuon said as he took a blanket from his bag and threw it over some rocks. "If that's not comfortable for you, we'll find another place, okay?" he asked as he approached his daughter and let his thumb run over her cheek. "I love you, Bella."_

" _I love you too, Daddy" Bella smiled. She sat down on a larger, smoother rock. Underneath the blanket it didn't feel so bad and she saw her dad sit down on the trunk of a tree. "You want to sit with me?"_

" _It's okay, don't worry about me," he said as they heard the sound of a bird. Kuon gestured to the tree and Bella held up her binoculars. There were a few smaller birds on the tree branch and Bella smiled. Her father had always taught her to respect animals and nature, living things had their own spirit and they deserved to be treated respectfully._

" _Dad," Bella said as she watched her father, "Did you ever take Mom birdwatching?"_

" _I did, at the beginning of our relationship we actually spent a lot of time with me doing things that your mother loved. We would go shopping, eat ice cream, we went to Disneyland in Tokyo a couple of times. It came to the point where your mother got a little annoyed by me. She told me that we always did things that she liked and she wanted to do something for me. She demanded an answer from me and I told her that I loved being in nature._

 _So after that, we would go to different parks or woods and she would have me teach her about all of the animals and birds that we would see. I'm sure that she at least knew some of the things that I taught her but she seemed so happy listening to me explain it. Your mother is very special, Bella," Kuon told her and Bella nodded._

" _Would she be watching the birds with us?" Bella asked and Kuon nodded._

" _I'm sure she is already," he grinned._

…..

…..

Kuon went into the office that Lory had prepared for him. Lory had made sure that everything was wheelchair accessible for him and Kuon wondered if it was because of their family type bond that Lory had done all of this. Apparently his first client was a woman in her late twenties who had been acting for a while but wanted to find different roles. He felt a little apprehensive about this but Kyoko had told him that she had confidence in his teaching ability and that meant a lot.

The woman should be here in about twenty five minutes so he had time to prepare. Lory had said to do things more on the fly and he had trusted him to take each problem and immediately try to find ways of solving it. Kuon hoped that he would be able to successfully do that. He had had enough experience as an actor.

He waited for the woman to come before seeing her name, Mimori Nanokura from Akotoki Agency's acting division. That was strange, she had been acting for a while but had never broken into the top spots as an actress. Maybe she respected him so much that she thought he would turn her into one of Japan's top actresses. Well, he wasn't sure that he could do _that_ but he'd meet with her.

She knocked on the door with about five minutes to spare and Kuon wheeled himself out.

The woman was very beautiful but compared to Kyoko she looked a little dull. He could work with her though, it wasn't as if he had to be critical on her appearance. He wheeled himself back. "Come in," he told her and Mimori nodded, dropping into a bow but Kuon could still see some arrogance in her.

"You have to help me," she said as she walked towards the desk and Kuon shut the door after her. "I really don't know who else to turn to….well _that_ woman maybe but it'd be easier if you helped me."

"Okay, so how this will work is that you can tell me the difficulties that you're ha-" Kuon was interrupted as he tried to explain what his job was but the words were ones that he wasn't expecting.

"You have to help me get revenge on Fuwa Sho," she said and Kuon blinked.

What did she need help with?

 **End of Chapter Seventy Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy Seven**

KrisXD: Thank you, I'm attempting to show their family situation as a cute and rare super loving family 😊

Undertheskys: Glad you liked it 😊


	79. Chapter 79 - Identity Theft

**AN:** Hope you guys like this chapter 😊 I still haven't heard back from the places I applied but please keep your fingers crossed for me, I think I need all the luck and positive energy that I can get.

 **Chapter Seventy Nine – Identity Theft**

Marie had already started her time with the Hizuri family as a trouble making kitty. She was playful and curious which meant that although she didn't mean it, she was constantly making small missteps. One of those had been knocking down some of Kuon's organized paperwork into a heap on the ground. Bella had taken Marie to another room to play with her and Kyoko was attempting to organize the papers. She could see all the acting offers, the signed contracts and she decided to categorize these papers on the ground in front of her.

Kyoko's hand went over a large envelope where there were papers and other envelopes inside. Kyoko moved these over to the side, wondering if she should look through them but Kuon probably had them in there for a reason. However, her eyes caught hold of a line in one of the letters. 'I love you.'

She hated feeling this spark of jealousy and as she stared at the paper she realized something creepy. This handwriting was nearly a perfect match of her own, it was as if someone had tried to copy each letter from some early documents of hers. She couldn't help the curiosity and shock as she took one of the envelopes and looked at it.

She didn't know how old it was, but it didn't feel right. Was Kuon actually involved in a relationship or had he been? He had kept telling her that he had remained loyal to her, sometimes not even referring to her in the past tense or saying that she was dead. There were even stories about this lack of acceptance when it came to her death had been something that had led him to hurt himself or get hurt as a result.

Kyoko held the letter in front of her,

 _My sweetest Kuon,_

 _I long to hear your voice but I think that the pain of hearing you when I cannot see you just yet is pain enough. I hold memories of all those sweet and sexy things you have talked to me about. I am still on the run but my next stop is in Osaka. Maybe we could meet up and I can tell you how much I still love you. I think that it is my love for you that keeps me going. I'm so sorry, my husband, that I cannot -"_

Kyoko froze and read the last part again. This person was using her handwriting. They had called Kuon their husband. Was this some kind of weird coincidence that she hadn't noticed. There was a small sliver of doubt in her mind saying that Kuon had married somebody else and then divorced her. She wouldn't have blamed him if that was the case. A man like Kuon staying completely loyal to one women with so many around him, maybe this was just something she had perfected inside her head but didn't have any bearing on the outside reality.

She looked back to the letter,

 _My husband that I cannot be with you. With all the media reporting my death and you believing for those long years that I wasn't by your side. I hope you forgive me. I want you beside me, my prince._

 _Always yours,_

 _Kyoko_

Kyoko blinked at the letter. She felt a pain in her gut as she reread the words. She didn't want to think about what this letter meant or what might have happened to Kuon but it looked as if someone had been scamming him. Had he actually believed that she had written these letters to him? She looked down at what was paperclipped to that letter. A plane ticket to Japan and a train ticket to Osaka.

She knew that Kuon was intelligent and he had proved it time and time again but he had been fooled by this woman and unless this was a Kyoko clone, this woman had tried to deceive a heartbroken and somewhat mentally unstable man into thinking that he had a chance with a ghost. She looked up as Bella dashed across the next room playing with Marie.

"Bella?" Kyoko asked as she gestured for her daughter to come to her, "Do you know anything about these letters?" It was a risky move, she could be exposing a side of Kuon's life to their daughter that he had never wanted for her to know about but she wanted to try.

"Yeah," Bella nodded, "A little," she nervously shifted, "It was before Daddy's…" she shivered and bowed her head, "Before Daddy attempted to go away. A few months before that. He told me when I found one of them but I didn't know at the time it happened. Daddy was tricked by someone and then he got more depressed, when he was told that he had killed you, his heart had so much pain he didn't know how to stop it from hurting."

"You mean that somebody pretended to be me so they could hurt Daddy?" Kyoko asked as she felt the cold on her hands. What kind of sick individual would do that?

"I think they wanted Daddy to fall in love with them. Grandpa tried really hard to stop Daddy from contacting them. I didn't know that's who he told Daddy to stop writing to but Daddy believed in the letters," Bella bowed her head and looked back at Marie. "Can I go play?"

"Yeah…yes of course," Kyoko nodded before looking at the dozens of envelopes and letters that had been collected. She couldn't believe someone could be that manipulative? She could now understand how it had been so hard for him to use the past tenses because in his mind, she was still out there. Maybe it would have been better if he had moved on but she was so grateful that he hadn't.

…

…

 _Kuon felt exhausted from running around all of Osaka. He hoped that she hadn't moved on, this wouldn't be the first time he had come to an area of Japan just to have been left. He would keep writing to PO boxes and post offices but maybe this time he had left quick enough so that he could catch her. They would go back to America, they would grab Bella and anything else that they would need, and they would start a new life, new identities._

 _Maybe his parents could even take care of Bella whilst he found safety for the three of them to be together. Everyone had said that he was crazy to believe that Kyoko was still alive but she had been writing to him. What did his dad know? He didn't know Kyoko like he did. She was alive and she needed his help and even if he got into a situation where he could never act again, it was worth it._

 _He held a bouquet of long stemmed red roses in his arm and then spotted her. She had changed her hair back to the style and length when she was sixteen, she was wearing similar clothes. She shouldn't be exposing herself like this. She should be hiding but she was sitting on a park bench in the open._

" _Kyo-kko?" he stuttered as he approached her, "Princess? Is it really you?"_

" _Yes, Kuon," the woman said in a voice sounding like Kyoko's if she had a cold, "I've been waiting for you."_

 _Kuon grinned. He had known it all along. He had known that she had gotten out of that lake and had tried to hide away because she was scared. He would make sure that she wasn't scared anymore. He would take care of her and then they could be a family, he could have the life with her that he wanted. He went around to stand in front of her, holding out the bouquet but stared at the very unfamiliar face._

 _This wasn't Kyoko._

 _He dropped the roses but the woman in front of him snatched them up. "Thank you so much," she said as Kuon stared at her in complete shock. What was going on here? He didn't know this woman. "I'm sorry that I pretended to be your wife," she said as he started shaking, conflicted by various emotions, "but I can be her. I've proven that I can be her and I can love you just as much as sh-"_

" _Who the hell are you?" Kuon asked and the woman smiled softly._

" _I can be Kyoko if you want me to be," she said. "I thought that you knew that your real wife was dead."_

 _Darkness. That's all Kuon could see as he stood there. A never-ending tunnel of darkness. He couldn't even comprehend what he was seeing, what he was hearing, he felt ill. What the hell had been happening?_

…

…

"Wait, you want me to help you do what?" Kuon asked as he looked at the woman in front of him. He didn't know what to say to that request, it definitely wasn't about acting and he was wondering if he was really so immature as to get involved in this. "I don't think that's something I'm able to help with," he said and Mimori looked at him.

"Look, I know there are only two people who can help me with this and I really don't want to ask _her,_ " Mimori said and Kuon watched her. He would prefer if she didn't contact Kyoko as well. He didn't know what options that left him with but only for Kyoko or Bella was he prepared to draw up his blade. Otherwise, annoying him by trolling him was enough.

"Why do you even want to get revenge? Just…let it go, that's what my wife did," Kuon tried to explain and Mimori shot him a dark look.

"You don't even want to help me?" she asked, "I guess that leaves me no other alternative then to contact _her_ and see if she wants to help me."

Kuon opened his mouth to say something but then shook his head. He would just leave it for right now. He took a deep breath in before looking down, "Why do you even want my help? I think you're the type of woman who would have her own ideas."

"I want revenge because I was dating him," Mimori said and Kuon nodded slowly, "and then I got pregnant and he forced me to have an abortion," she said and Kuon stared at her confused. Didn't Kyoko say that it was Sho's _manager_ who had been knocked up by him. He nodded slowly, now carefully listening. Did he misunderstand what Kyoko had talked to him about. "Then he broke up with me. I wanted to keep the baby but he told me he didn't want kids and then I learned six months later that he had gotten his manager pregnant," Mimori continued and Kuon frowned.

Was Fuwa's sperm that powerful? He saw Mimori watching him and brought himself back to the conversation.

"And then…." Mimori said bitterly, "Instead of staying with her or forcing her to have the abortion, he flies to America to be with _that woman_." Kuon paused. What the heck kind of a life was Fuwa living? He didn't think that he could ever live that type of a life.

"So, he's a jerk," Kuon said and Mimori folded her arms and pouted, "Listen, you're better off without him. The fact that he knocks women up and leaves them just goes to show that he's not the type of gu-"

"Would you do that?" Mimori asked and Kuon blinked.

"I love my wife, I wouldn't leave her," he said and Mimori paused.

"What about if it was someone else that you knocked up?" she asked and Kuon laughed at that, his face lighting up as he thought about how gorgeous Kyoko had looked that morning, how when he had woken up, he couldn't help but to gaze upon her.

"There has never been anyone else," he said as Mimori looked at him with another pout, she didn't know how he could feel so strongly about _that woman_ but she knew he wouldn't give her the answers that she needed. She might as well contact _her._

 **End of Chapter Seventy Nine**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy Eight**

Crazy4Animation: Well Mimori might need to take other measures against Sho now

KrisXD: Glad that you liked all the parts of the last chapter 😊

Ktoll9: Maybe but she'll need some extra help

Undertheskys: Well we'll have to see how that plot unfolds


	80. Chapter 80 - White Hair

**AN:** I didn't get the jobs that I applied for I don't know if my current job is going to lay me off or not, I hope that they won't. I'm in a very unsettled place right now but I can't give up. I really hope that you like this chapter and yes, there is another twist.

 **Chapter Eighty – White Hair**

Kyoko smiled as she placed her hand on Kuon's chest as they lay naked in the bed together. It had been awkward to enjoy one another's body with her belly getting in the way but they had done it. Kyoko had been the one to ask for it. She had felt pain in her heart at how loyal and dedicated he had been to her and that had led for him to get hurt. She wanted to prove to him how much she loved him.

Kuon was always so sweet, always taking care of her and making sure that she was confident. Those letters proved that without her, his mind had slipped because she couldn't see Kuon unable to figure out that he was being scammed when he was happy like this. So she had tried to prove to him how much she cared about him and being in an adult relationship allowed her to do what she wanted.

"I love you," she whispered as she placed the side of her face onto his chest, her white hair slipping down onto his body.

It had been a while since they had been intimate like that but after learning about the false identity and how Kuon had hoped with so much of his body and heart that she was alive, she wanted to celebrate her husband's love and loyalty and this allowed her to give him all of her love.

"It feels bad," Kuon said as Kyoko's eyes widened and she sat up.

She wasn't sure what to do and panic had entered her two different colored eyes. Was he actually criticizing the way that they had had sex together? Was there something that she didn't understand? Had being pregnant hurt him because there was too much weight being moved around or was it more of his thoughts behind having intercourse with a pregnant woman.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she put a hand to her face. She didn't want to cry because of those words.

"It's not you," Kuon smiled at her as his emerald eyes took her in. He reached up to tuck one of those loose white strands behind her ear. "It's really not you, you've done nothing wrong," he said and Kyoko took a soft breath in, her breath catching in her chest. "It's just that I feel as if you've healed me," he told her and Kyoko looked extremely confused.

What was he talking about? Why would that be bad?

"I'm sorry, did I…I don't understand," Kyoko said as she looked at him nervously, her hand pressed against his abdomen.

"My legs, somehow they feel healed," Kuon said as he slowly moved her aside and got out of the bed, easily walking to the door and back. He sat down on the bed and looked down at his legs, he knew he was naked but this was his wife. Naked didn't matter but the idea that he hadn't been able to fix his legs by himself and that Kyoko had cured him, it didn't make him feel good.

"That's great, right, Kuon?" Kyoko asked excitedly and Kuon sighed, running his hand through his blond hair.

He shouldn't be so selfish and stubborn. Being healthy again was good and he might even be able to do stunts again but he still had wanted to get there by himself. He was being stupid and he was worrying her. He forced a smile onto his face and nodded.

"Sure," he told her as Kyoko put a hand on his shoulder, "It's great," he nodded knowing that he couldn't fool her, he had never been able to fool Kyoko.

….

….

Lory stared at the man in front of him who a month ago had been having difficulty moving and speaking. He raised an eyebrow at Kuon, he seemed perfectly fine and to Lory that didn't make any sense at all. "So, you just….healed," he said and Kuon shrugged.

"I don't know, I've been going to the doctors," he said. He looked down, if Kyoko wasn't hiding her gift then all of this would be so much easier to explain but to make sure that she was safe they had to find other reasons for why these strange occurrences were happening.

"Kuon, I'm impressed by how fast you've healed," Lory hummed, "but I don't think doctors, even the doctors that I go to have been able to make such surprising treatment. I know that you were walking with a cane a week ago so…"

"Maybe I'm magic, maybe I've got magic genes," Kuon shrugged. He saw Lory staring at him, turning the idea over in his head. Wait. Did he actually think that he was saying something that made sense? Did that mean that Kyoko might be in danger.

"Did you want to go back into acting?" he asked and Kuon sighed.

"Eventually, yes," he admitted and then looked at the floor, "but for right now I'd like to continue as an adviser, I had one appointment and it didn't seem to go too well. I think that you might need a new vetting program," he suggested and Lory looked at him. He leaned forward with a playful smile wanting to get the details of Kuon's interactions with Mimori.

"Not the kind of client that you were thinking of?" he asked and Kuon blinked back but an annoyed look was on his face.

"Not the kind of request that I was thinking of," he sighed, sweeping his hand through his hair once again. "She asked me to help her get revenge on another actor. I didn't know that my job would include advice about being a popularity hitman especially of outdated visual kei singers. I'd love to help people with their acting but I'm not going to go and attack others."

Lory laughed as Kuon frowned, trying to avoid eye contact, "So who was she trying to get revenge on? Why come to you and ask for your help? I didn't know that you made a lot of enemies, Kuon. Now with this fast healing thing that you've got happening and helping young girl gets revenge….I do wonder who you became when you were in America."

Kuon rolled his eyes, "Well let's just say that miracles happen when it comes to the healing process, I mean, I've done some things that other people wouldn't really call human, remember what happened with Taira when I was Actor X and I do know that you know this," he said and Lory nodded with understanding.

"And as far as getting revenge, I did say no. I might troll him online but that's all that I feel that I can be doing at my age. I have a daughter already that I need to take care of and soon I'll have two little boys. I can't let myself be threatened by someone who my wife holds no interest in," Kuon smiled.

"I'd really like to continue being a teacher for a while, I'll make sure to work my hardest but I need proper students to teach, not people who are just seeking revenge on others. However, around the holiday season, if you see any job openings," he said and Lory rolled his eyes.

"If I even had a single social media post that you were looking for work I would be buried in offers," Lory said before he grinned, "I'm very glad to see you healed, to see you come back and work for us. Are you thinking of this being a short time whilst you're here or -"

"I'd really like to continue working and living in Japan," Kuon said honestly. "I didn't know about the social pressures that existed over there. I always considered myself a social person, able to handle being around a lot of other people but it's only because I kept my distance as Ren that I was able to do it. Being in that competitive field isn't for me, not when I can act over here."

"I consider myself very lucky to hear that," Lory admitted. "Let me know when you're ready to act again and I'll open the floodgates for you," Lory winked and Kuon stood up, bowing to him.

"Thank you, Boss," he grinned before leaving the room, smiling to Ruto as he left.

…..

…..

Kuon smiled as he left Lory's office to find that Kyoko had come to meet him on the bottom floor. The two had found another school for Bella to attend and they just hoped that it would have better security than the last one. Still, with Bella back in school that did let the two of them have more time together as a couple.

"Everything go well," Kyoko asked as she leaned up for a kiss and Kuon nodded, "I need to go to the restroom again," she said as she put a hand onto her belly. "One of the boys is pushing down onto my bladder," she explained and Kuon quickly led her over to the bathrooms and let himself lean against the wall outside the door.

He smiled weakly as a few other women exited the room. He knew that a man's presence there wasn't what they were hoping for but he had seen a few of them get excited. Was he really such a big deal in Japan anymore, it wasn't as if he had acted here for about seven years. Well, his dad was still a big deal so maybe that was why or maybe it was his growing number of roles.

He closed his eyes as he waited, he didn't know what to tell Kyoko about the incident he had had with Nanokura-san, she most likely wouldn't find it amusing. Maybe he should tell her something else before breaking the news. He lifted his hand up and felt a few strands of hair fall onto his hand. That was strange.

Wasn't it a little early to be going bald, he froze as he remembered the words that Ten had said to him all of those years ago, if he continued to try to dye his hair then his hair would eventually fall out. He sighed as he looked at his hand and his eyes widened a little. There were four strands and whereas three of them were blond, there was one which was white. He looked at it, picking it up in his hands and turned it to the light.

Was he older than he thought he was? Kyoko kept reprimanding him for saying that he was old when he was still in his thirties but did this prove that a thirty two year old man was an older being. He pulled out his phone and carefully took a picture of his hair before bringing it down to look at it. There were about a dozen white strands that he could see from this picture. He wasn't aging, right?

Kyoko walked over to him, putting a hand on his back and made him flinch. She blinked, what was going on inside that head of his? "Kuon, sweetheart?" she asked as she saw the picture that he was looking at. Her eyes widened a little.

"Maybe you're just going prematurely grey?" she asked him and Kuon nodded weakly.

"Maybe, maybe it's a result of the hair dye," he said although Kyoko wasn't so sure. She didn't want to say anything to him but she was starting to get a lot more conscious about her powers. Was she unintentionally hurting the man she loves?

 **End of Chapter Eighty**

 **Thank you for choosing to read**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Seventy Nine**

Ashenvale: Yep and Kuon might be just as viral if he wasn't so devoted

Crazy4Animation: It's hard but I'm going to persevere. Lots of plot twists 😉

Erza: I find humor in small things too, like the pronunciation of the word 'button' and everyone gets busy, you make the reviews that you can 😉 I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter

KrisXD: Well he'll have to learn his lesson in the end and work with the consequences

PaulaGaTo: Well Kyoko already told Kuon about Sho but yeah Mimori needs herself a lawyer

Undertheskys: Glad you liked it 😊


	81. Chapter 81 - Icy Treats

**AN:** So, things at my job got even worse and I was given a final warning. They told me off for things like not smiling and confusing the customers so you can tell they were attempting to get me out of there. I gave my two weeks in and right now it feels like I'm free falling a little bit. I don't have anywhere to go after those two weeks so I'll just be unemployed, please wish me luck 3 love to you all – Fay

 **Chapter Eighty One – Icy Treats**

Kuon put a hand to his forehead as he looked at himself in the mirror, he had the feeling that his hair would go back to being blond and what he was going through was an aftershock of having sex with an ice princess, but his hair was feathery white. It felt strange for him but his emerald eyes hadn't changed and he felt warmth inside of him instead of ice.

He knew that he had to go back into the room and he had to face her but he didn't want her to get the wrong idea and leave. She wasn't dangerous to him. She wasn't harming him. He took another breath in, letting his shoulders relax and then looked around for some kind of hat. His hair _would_ go back, this _was_ temporary.

"Kuon," Kyoko said with a soft moan, "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Kuon managed to find a skull cap and put it on, was he too old to pull off something like this? He couldn't think about that right now. He walked out of the bathroom and looked at his wife. "Hey," he said as she reached out to him, a little confused over his choice of accessory.

"Sweetheart, that's something….different," she told him, her eyes taking him in but she smiled to him. "Well, it makes you look attractive, you can never look unattractive to me."

Kuon sighed, he didn't want to hide this from her but he was afraid of losing her. Afraid that she'd run off somewhere and he wouldn't be able to find her. He didn't want to lie to her though and she might be even more hurt if she discovered on her own. "Kyoko," he said as he picked up her hands and held them in his, "Look at me, princess, I don't want to lose you so if I show you something, promise me you'll stay so we can sort it out together."

"Kuon," Kyoko said nervously, "You're scaring me, what are you talking about?"

Kuon sighed and kissed her passionately on the lips. As he moved away, he took the hat off so Kyoko could see the white hair which matched her own, she gasped and dropped his hands, bringing her own hands to her mouth.

"No, no, no, no," she started to panic and felt the room get colder, she saw Kuon shiver and her heart ached. "I'm sorry, Kuon, I…I'm not doing it to hurt you. I'm sorry that you got hurt. I don't want you to feel hurt."

"I'm _not_ hurt," Kuon tried to tell her, "I love you. My hair is not what matters here, you must have given me some magic when you healed my legs. Let's leave it a few days and say it's for some modelling shoot that never happens…" He tried to smile playfully, "Now can I say that I'm an old man?"

"No you may not," Kyoko said with a teasing glare, she managed to calm herself. "We'll be able to talk more in three days. Your hair might be restored then. Three days, that's all we need, just three days?" she asked and Kuon held onto her hand, bringing it to his lips.

"Well, I would really love a lifetime with you but we can discuss that," he told her with a smile and Kyoko nodded, still wrapping her other arm around herself as if she were a child. She reached out hesitantly to touch the white strands of hair. She smiled warmly, showing how much she loved him and as the warmth heated her body, it transferred onto his hair making it gradually change into a sunny yellow. Kyoko froze, had she just _melted_ his hair?

"Kuon, go take a look now," she said to him and Kuon nodded, going to the mirror and seeing his usual hair color. He smiled and turned back to Kyoko.

"Well now we don't need to wait three days," he joked with her playfully and Kyoko nodded eagerly.

"That's right," she said before reaching out to wrap her arms around him as much as possible. "I don't want you to leave, you're Kuon, you're the most amazing person I've ever met," she said and Kuon smiled, placing a hand on her cheek so he could tuck some loose strands behind her ear.

"I love you," he told her happily and Kyoko smiled, leaning forward to kiss him.

"Then you'll still help me until you get hurt again?" Kyoko asked as she placed a hand on his chest, trying to draw from the support he was offering her. He nodded, "Kuon?" she asked softly, "Can you do something for me?" she said as she let her fingers slide through his hair, feeling that his warmth was a calming beam to her.

"Sure, what can I help you with?" he asked and Kyoko smiled.

"Can you get me some ice cream? Do you remember the ice cream that Moko and I ate from the store, they still sell it, I'd really like it," she said and Kuon laughed.

"So, now that I'm healed, I can be the devoted husband to my pregnant wife?" he asked and Kyoko grinned, placing a hand on his shoulder and nodded.

"If that's okay," she said and Kuon went to change into something more appropriate to go out in than pajamas.

"Of course that's okay," he grinned, "I'll be right back."

…

…

" _This ice cream is so delicious, Daddy" the nearly five year old Isabella grinned as she ate it with her spoon. She always went to this particular ice cream shop with her dad even though she knew her dad wasn't very good with desserts. He usually picked something small but he had chosen an unusual flavor this time._

" _Daddy, why did you pick that one?" Isabella asked before holding her spoon up, "Can I have some?" she asked and Kuon nodded as he pushed the cup forward._

" _This is your mother's favorite flavor," he told her and Bella watched him with curiosity in her eyes. She had always wanted to meet her mother so she loved hearing stories about her. Every time her daddy would tell her these stories, his eyes would light up and he'd smile so happily that it made her wonder if her mother had been as much of a princess as her dad said he was._

" _Did you and Mommy eat a lot of icey cream together?" she asked and Kuon placed a hand on her head causing her to giggle._

" _I didn't eat a lot of ice cream with Mommy, I wish I could eat with her again but sometimes we went to this shop. Mommy would come here a lot with her best friend, Miss Kanae," he said respectfully despite talking in English. Even when they took their trips to Japan, he would talk to Bella in English unless they were with somebody._

" _That's the pretty woman who Mommy did cute lala with?" Bella tried to make sure and Kuon nodded._

" _Kyurara," he corrected her, "so Mommy would always try and arrange for them to come to this ice cream place at least once a month. That was a special time that they could spend together. Whenever Miss. Kanae would have to cancel though, Mommy was so sad about it. She tried to say that it was inevitable and that they were both so busy that it was hard to schedule for every month. Even though Daddy doesn't really love desserts, Mommy was so disappointed that whenever Miss Kanae couldn't do it, I went in her place. It really made Mommy cheer up."_

" _Didn't Mommy want to go with Daddy?" Bella asked and Kuon laughed._

" _She did but she knew I wasn't a fan of food and so she found other things for us to do. We used to visit shrines, go to the zoo, take walks, go down to Kyoto to visit the place where we met together. It was just, I always wanted to see her smile, just like I want to see you smile, my little princess."_

 _Bella smiled before looking at her dad with an innocent expression, "I'm sure that Mommy can taste the ice cream now," she said and Kuon nodded. He didn't know what to say but he was glad that he could share this moment with their daughter even if his and Kyoko's tastes in ice cream really differed._

…..

…..

Kuon picked up a large tub of ice cream before looking around the store, maybe he should just walk through each aisle and think if there was anything else that he should buy. It was in the early morning and only the regular early shoppers were around. He sighed, hopefully nobody would approach him, he felt a little _too_ exhausted for that to happen.

Maybe he could get some pudding for Bella, she seemed to enjoy it and he wanted to spoil her. That might be a problem with him, a trait that Yashiro teased him for. He spoiled those that he loved and soon he might have to make more money to spoil twice as many people. He pulled into the aisle before seeing Fuwa staring at the puddings.

He coughed, remembering what Kyoko had said about Sho and his love for the dessert and his secret shame surrounding that draw to it. Him coughing however had caused Fuwa to stare at him. "Morning," Kuon said with a nod as he managed to hide his playful grin. If teasing Sho over pudding was his pleasure in life then that was really a sad existence he was living.

"So, you're still with Kyoko," Sho said and Kuon blinked as he went to the dessert.

"Well, the fact that we're married proves that," he said as he picked up the dessert and Sho stared at him.

"Hizuri, don't tell me that you eat that stuff?" he asked before pointing at him, "That stuff is for losers it's for -"

"My daughter," Kuon said before his eyes narrowed, "Are you still chasing after my wife? Grow the hell up, Fuwa," he said before leaning in, "of all the women that you got knocked up, Kyoko is not one of them. Kyoko has only ever slept with one man and that man doesn't have any intention of losing her or letting her go."

"It didn't seem that way when you had your brain damage," Sho said with a cold smile, "You do know that she was spending her time with _me_ Hizuri whilst despairing that you had fallen so far. It's not one of her best moments but it showed her true intentions."

"That so?" Kuon asked as he raised an eyebrow before shrugging, "She's already told me all of this and asked for my forgiveness. Everyone makes mistakes and she was scared, she returned to my side and without her support I would have never healed so quickly," he said before looking at him. "You know, Kyoko told me all about your manager and the cruelness you showed her and I had a visitor seeking revenge on you."

"Really, you had a visitor?" Sho asked and Kuon nodded, "Who? You're making up crap, Hizuri."

"Mimori Nanokura," Kuon said as Sho's jaw dropped and Kuon walked away leaving the singer speechless.

 **End of Chapter Eighty One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **So, aside from this fic, I realized that I needed to narrow down the ones I'm going to be working on right now so I chose seven, both as a mix of what others want to see and what I'd like to write:** Family History, It's Just Like Magic, Loyalty, Q&A, Saving Mr. Hizuri, So Lucky to Have You, The Little Prince.

 **Since I might not have a job in two weeks, I might expand my list but this is what I've decided for right now.**

 **Also, thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eighty**

Kris XD: Yep, things aren't as bad as you might think 😊

Paulagato: They are going to learn soon how Kyoko's magic works but having white hair occasionally is a decent trade off for their love


	82. Chapter 82 - The Crystal Lake

**AN:** I'm feeling writers anxiety with all this surrendering my job stuff and not having a new job yet so I'm going to try my best to give you guys whatever I can but I'm not sure how much I can get done. I do hope you enjoy this chapter though.

 **Chapter Eighty Two – The Crystal Lake**

As Kuon was putting the ice cream and other grocery items away, he saw a number of papers on the counter. He hadn't seen them when he left so it must mean that Kyoko had some kind of idea that she might not want to discuss with him just yet. He picked up one piece and looked at it but his eyes widened and he crumpled the paper into a ball in his fist. He took deep breaths to steady himself before concentrating on putting the food away.

Still, what he had seen had brought out his anger and his fear and he wanted it gone from Kyoko's mind. He never wanted to read anything about or see any pictures of that stupid lake in which it had been told that she drowned in. He had done his own research about it six years ago. He knew that there was a shrine that was for the fairies and that it was near a Shinto shrine. He didn't care though, he couldn't laugh at the way that he had gotten Kyoko back.

He did however feel the need to keep her as far away from this place as possible.

He needed her beside him, her going to this stupid lake might just give him the opposite. He sighed and ran a couple of fingers through his blond hair. He had to just concentrate on what was in front of him. That was his son's, his little twin boys, that was making sure that their family was well knit and united and they all were happy and healthy. That damn lake wasn't going to help that.

He took a few more breaths and as he closed the freezer after putting the last item in, he let his forehead rest against the closed door. He closed his eyes as he felt the fear rush through his body. Everyone had told him that Kyoko had died because she had drowned in that stupid lake, it was either a miracle of a supernatural kind or something that was scientific but undiscovered that had brought her back to him.

He wasn't going to let her take this trip. He hated to put his foot down, argue his case, interfere in her life because he trusted her but if he had to be cruel and unkind to make sure the trip never happened then that was better than losing her. He tried to steady himself again before hearing someone speaking behind him.

"Kuon? Are you okay?" Kyoko asked as she looked at him, "Did you forget the ice cream?" she asked, taking a seat as she watched him and being careful of the twins.

"No, I…I have the ice cream," Kuon said in a low voice with his eyes still closed. He couldn't lose it on her now, he couldn't give into anger. It wasn't nice to get angry at the woman who was carrying his children and she probably hadn't meant to upset him. "I have it," he nodded and Kyoko tilted her head to the side.

"Are you sure that you're okay, sweetheart?" she asked and he nodded, "because the way that you're acting tells me that you're hiding something." Kyoko sighed again and looked at her husband, raising an eyebrow, "Are you hiding something from me, Kuon."

"I'm not hiding anything from you," Kuon said in a calm manner though he didn't look at her, "Why would you think that?"

"You just…don't look your best," she said before frowning, "Something happened when you went shopping didn-"

"I don't want you to go to that stupid lake!" Kuon yelled as he spun around to look at her and Kyoko felt the anger and fear in his voice. She felt as if she had been slapped but she had also never seen her husband looking so desperate as if this was an alternate dream world and if she said that wrong thing it would all crumble.

"I…I think that's my concern," Kyoko said and Kuon laughed bitterly.

"So, you're going to go!? You're going to just take our little boys to a place where I can't protect them?" he asked, "I can't do this again and I don't want to risk their lives. I….I forbid you from going there," he said and Kyoko watched him.

"You forbid me?" she asked in shock and Kuon nodded shakily.

"Yes, as the older one in our relationship, as your husband and the man of the house, as the one who earns the most money, I…I forbid you from going there," he said although he didn't look fully committed to what he was saying. Still, Kuon wanted to do whatever he needed to do to keep Kyoko from returning to that place. Even if he had to strap her down in their bed until the time she went to the hospital, he would do that if it was necessary for her not leaving to go to _that_ location.

Kyoko paused before blinking hard, she bit her top lip and tried to figure out how to get through this without laughing at this. She looked down and put a hand on her belly, "Kuon, I think that it might be what helps me understand this ice power," she tried to explain. "I didn't have this before I came back and I was frozen alive, I think that it all links up but -"

"And I don't know why you have to go trekking there as some kind of search for your origin story," Kuon argued before looking down. "If you care about me at all then…"

"Then I won't _go_ there, Kyoko said as she stood up and made her way over to him. She held onto his hand and rubbed the back with her thumb. "I hate seeing you this upset, I won't do anything to hurt you. I love you," she said as she smiled him again and put her hand on his upper arm.

"But maybe we could do some research on what goes on there, maybe see if there are any other stories?" she asked and Kuon nodded nervously.

"We won't go down there," he said worried and Kyoko held onto him as close as possible.

"I promise that I won't set my foot anywhere near that lake," she told him. "I hate seeing you upset, Kuon, and this makes you upset the most. If it can help me help you then I won't go there but I still want to figure out if there's some way of making these powers go away," she touched his cheek lovingly. "I understand why you're so nervous but I'm going to keep looking."

"Then please let me help?" Kuon asked, looking a little guilty and Kyoko grinned with a nod.

"I promise that I will," she said before he held onto her. "You're not alone anymore. We're doing this together, I promise you," she said before kissing his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kuon sighed as he stroked her hair behind her ear, "You're so amazing," he said as he kissed her again. "I'm sorry that I tried to take charge in that -"

"You know that you weren't really taking charge in the same way that Shotaro used to, right, Kuon?" she asked and Kuon smiled before nodding.

"I know that," he replied, "I do know that."

Kyoko kissed his cheek again and sighed. She did want to find her answers but she wasn't sure how far she could push Kuon on this before he exploded and had to face the fact that he had never accepted her as dead and he had been scared to find that out.

…

…

" _We don't usually allow someone overseas to purchase such a large area of land," a man said on the other side of the phone, "but we would definitely be grateful for such a large sum of money, Hizuri-sama," he said and Kuon laughed awkwardly as he looked at the stars outside the kitchen window._

" _Is that enough money though?" he asked, "I'd be prepared to add a little more, I am asking for private ownership of a natural landmark," he told the man._

" _I think that is a very generous amount of money and thank you for paying for the restoration of the shrine as well," the man said, "are you sure that you only want it to say privately owned and controlled by the prefecture, if you wanted to come down and inspect it?"_

" _No, I….I would rather just have the bank mail you a check," Kuon said as his face paled to a ghostly white. He knew that his dad had found the plans for this and his dad had gone down to investigate the area but Kuon couldn't. He was scared to, he just wanted to make sure that the area was protected even if it did mean owning something that was haunted._

" _If that's what you want to do then, we can do that, but I think it might be in your best interests if we were to tal-"_

" _I'll add three million yen onto it right now if we don't talk, you don't even need to use that for anything, just use it as a processing charge," Kuon tried to steady his voice. He didn't want to go there and he didn't want more questions to be asked about it. Maybe he was a man who was grieving for his wife but if he had to spend his entire life savings on buying that stupid lake then he would do it._

 _It was her eternal resting place and he wasn't going to let anyone else have control over it. If anyone wanted to touch that lake then it would be over him and what they were assuming was Kyoko's unfound "dead" body._

…..

…..

Kyoko had hidden her phone behind a book about being a mother to twins. She hated doing something so juvenile but she didn't want to upset Kuon even more than she already had. Kuon usually managed to keep himself calm these days, going through the attack had given him a new purpose for life. This thing with how she died might be the thing that would trigger him into his depression again.

She would have to keep quiet for both their sakes.

Kyoko looked at the information about the lake and saw that somebody had purchased the property about four and a half years ago but had left it in the hands of the Japanese government. She looked at it, the owner wanted the place preserved and for it to be maintained by the same people who took care of the other local greenery.

Somebody was protecting this lake and Kyoko wondered if they were people like her. Maybe this lake was a place where people who had these mysterious powers gathered and they learned how to control them. Maybe there were even little creatures that lived in the water and you could train them wi- no that was going too much into anime territory.

Kyoko sighed, she wondered if she could get the name of the person and whether they were a fairy as well but she had to do all of this without hurting Kuon. She didn't want to criticize her husband but he seemed very sensitive about the way in which she had died and the place where it had happened. She would have to figure out the best way of doing this without him suspecting a thing.

 **End of Chapter Eighty Two**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Eighty One**

Ashenvale: No, he can't, it's in his personality

Crazy4Animation: Thank you 😊 Well Kuon cares so much about Kyoko that Sho won't get close to her

Erza: Oh no, well hopefully the communication can be restarted 😊 Thank you for your support

KrisXD: It's okay, I'm a believer in silver linings and hey I have three years experience now 😊 He really is a hypocrite

PaulaGaTo: Glad that you liked it 😊

Undertheskys: I hope you enjoyed this chapter too


	83. Chapter 83 - Like Queen Elsa

**AN:** Well, it's been a number of chapters since Grant but I hope that you're ready for another person into Kyoko. Thank you for choosing to read this chapter, I hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter Eighty Three – Like Queen Elsa**

Something was wrong with him, it might take someone who knew him very well to be able to see that, but something was wrong with Kuon. Kyoko sighed as she watched Kuon play with Isabella on the foozball table out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't coping. Whatever he was attempting to do wasn't working and she didn't know how to fix it.

Maybe if she did something for him, something that was not related to the lake which he seemed to really hate. She could understand though. If he had passed away on a film set then every time that she tried to work as an actress, she would have panic attacks and wouldn't know whether she could continue. He must be feeling the exact same about that lake.

What kind of things did he like? Maybe they could go to Ueno Zoo but maybe _after_ the babies were born. Moving around in a zoo in her condition was uncomfortable now, she didn't want to carry this weight with her any longer but the babies had about two months before they were born.

That might be an answer, they could do something for the boys. They could pick out names for them or Kuon could move the furniture into their room so they could finally feel that it was near the time for them to have another child. If she concentrated her efforts on the babies then she would be able to distract him long enough for him to start to feel comfortable talking to her again.

Maybe it had some manipulation in that plan but she would take it.

"Kuon," she called out and her husband turned and looked at her, setting the ball which had just been delivered into his goal to the side. He watched her, standing up and making his way over to her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked nervously as he knelt down next to her, "Is there something that you need? Is the pain getting worse?" he asked as he let his hand rest over her stomach.

Kyoko shook her head and smiled, "No, I just wanted to have you near me," she said as Isabella came to join the two of them. Kyoko laughed as she let her hand stay on Isbaella's shoulder, "I wanted you here with me as well, princess," she said and Bella smiled.

"Why? Is there -" she began but Kyoko shook her head.

"I want to watch a movie," she smiled before putting her hand on Kuon's chest, "Honey, why don't you start working out again and tone your muscles. I always love seeing you with muscles when you're on your modelling shoots."

Kuon shared a confused look with Bella before putting his hand over Kyoko's forehead. She didn't have a fever so she didn't seem sick no matter how delirious she sounded. He blinked before nodding.

"Yes, we can watch a movie together," he said and Bella nodded watching him, "Did you want to watch too, Bella?"

"Well, I don't like boring movies," Bella said and Kyoko smiled.

"I was thinking that we could watch Frozen," Kyoko said and Kuon flinched at that. Kyoko noticed but saw that Kuon was relaxing naturally with a smile on his face. He nodded and so Kyoko's attention returned to their daughter, "How about it, Bella. You want to watch Frozen with us?"

"Yes," Bella smiled happily, "I love that movie! I really love that movie," she said excitedly and Kyoko looked at her daughter. She held onto her hand and then closed her own eyes.

"Bella," she said in a calm manner, "You know how Queen Elsa and Mommy both have those ice powers?" she asked and Bella nodded quickly, "Well, what you might not know is that Mommy and Queen Elsa have something else in common," Kyoko reached up and took her wig off. She had hated lying to her daughter but inside she wasn't sure she could trust a seven-year-old with this kind of secret.

Bella's eyes widened and she grinned with a soft laugh.

"Wow, that's really cool," she said as she reached out to touch the white strands, "I love it!" she grinned excitedly and Kuon smiled between his two girls.

"You do?" Kyoko asked happily and Bella nodded again.

"I like it even more than your black hair," she said and Kyoko pulled her into the closest hug that she could given her pregnant belly. Kuon grinned, he loved seeing his girls getting along like this.

…

…

As the movie finished, Kuon wrapped his arms around Bella even more, pulling her up to his chest and kissed her on the top of her head. "That is a good movie," he told her and Bella nodded. She looked at her mother who had tears in her eyes and then tilted her head, looking up at her dad.

"Why are you crying?" she asked as she turned back to her mother, "It was a good movie, they learned that if they loved one another as sisters that the world would turn into a good place. It's like I'm going to love my little brothers that much," Bella stated and Kyoko nodded.

"I think it's the hormones," she told them and Kuon shook his head.

"You've always been unable to not cry when it comes to Disney movies because you're passionate and caring and amazing," he reminded her as he let his hand run through her hair and rest on her cheek. "It just goes to prove how much you really do think of others or at least others who don't….hurt you and take advantage of you," he said as he saw the tissues that she had started to rip apart during the moment when Hans betrayed Elsa. Kuon could guess that those moments were ones that reminded her of Fuwa.

"Well, you're sweet as well," Kyoko said as she held onto his hand, "You care about me and you understand my passion towards movies like this."

Bella rolled her eyes, "You are so mushy," she stated with a roll of her eyes. "You just think the world is full of love, most parents aren't like you two."

"That's because your parents are special," Kuon said as he kissed her but Bella jumped down.

"I'm going to play with Marie," Bella laughed before going out of the room and Kuon just sat there as he watched the title card for the movie. He looked over to Kyoko who was just continuing to watch him.

Kyoko smiled at Kuon and closed her eyes, "Thank you, that felt really good to be watching that with the two of you," she said and Kuon nodded. "Don't tell me that you didn't feel any anxiety when Ana turned into an ice figure," she said as she placed her hand on Kuon's upper arm. He turned to her and sighed.

"Is it funny that it terrified me?" he asked and Kyoko shook her head quickly, "I feel scared every time I'm reminded that there is still a chance that I will lose you. I'm not very good at dealing with the fear of losing the person that I love, the people that I love. You know how I feel about going to that road where Rick died in front of me."

"Kuon….I didn't mean it like that, of course it's not funny" she looked at him and held onto his hand. "I love you, I really do, if this is upsetting to you sweetheart then I want to know. I…"

"I have work to do," Kuon said as he stood up and walked away from her. "Lory actually found me a proper client this time," he bowed his head, he hadn't told her about Mimori because he hoped that she wouldn't get involved in that. He didn't want her to be stressed or to be drawn back to the past, there was a strong possibility that Mimori could do both.

"Proper client?" Kyoko asked with a tilt of her head, "What was the problem with your la-"

"She wanted revenge on Fuwa, she's already an actress in this country. She may only play cute roles or romantic crushes, but she's an established actress who wanted to drag me into a whole mess where she had been dating Fuwa and then he had forced her to have an abortion and then he ditched her for his manager and then he ditched his manager when she got pregnant," Kuon said as he took deep breaths so as to fight against the frustration provided by the situation.

"Wow," Kyoko said honestly and blinked, "I didn't know that Shotaro was such a whore."

Kuon sighed and nodded before walking out of the room, Kyoko had to find a way of fixing this.

…..

…

Kyoko was pacing back and forth outside of where Kuon had set up his office for the coaching. She had asked Lory what time his appointment ran and she wanted to make sure that she could apologize to him. Okay, maybe apologize was a strong word especially since she didn't feel as if she had done anything wrong, but she had to make this work. Hopefully she could make him feel better, take some of that anxiety away.

She sighed as she sat down on a bench. Was she stupid when she kept thinking about the lake? She knew that he had had a fear of water and it had been explained how much he had been haunted by just the idea of a swimming pool after her death, she could still remember how flustered he was when he had seen her in their swimming pool. She sighed before seeing a man step closer to her.

Strangely enough she felt an ice cold chill already, she wrapped an arm around herself and kept looking straight ahead. She had had to be used to creeps coming up to her when she was an actress but she didn't want them now. She was pregnant and married and the news media all knew to who. Hopefully this guy wasn't looking for a date.

"I've been looking for you, Mogami-san," the man said in a deep voice and Kyoko looked over to him. She froze as she took in his appearance. He had white hair but he didn't look old and it had streaks of blue in it. He was wearing a dark blue button up shirt, black jeans, and had a long black coat on which seemed to glitter. His eyes were a deep blue but he looked Japanese. Were these contacts and dye or….the man put his hand out and Kyoko's eyes widened as she saw him create a snowflake.

"The name is Hizuri-san," Kyoko corrected him as she saw his hand, she looked at him and paused. Was this someone nice or someone cruel? There was dark magic in the world as well as good. "Are you-"

"I was cursed by the same lake myself as a child. I learned about those who control the ice magic," he smiled at her, "And it seems as if you've made the fairies happy yourself. Now, forgive me if I refuse to call you by that disgusting mortal name. I think you deserve a lot better than that monster."

Kyoko stood up, heaving herself to her feet. "Ice magic or not, you do _not_ have any right to insult my husband _or_ the Hizuri name. My husband loves and supports me," she said before seeing the door to Kuon's office open. Why had this creep had to come now?

The man went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Now, I want you to come away with me, you're not wanted here," he said before hearing a deep voice behind her.

"Who the hell are you to tell my wife she isn't wanted," Kuon growled and Kyoko looked at him. She wasn't sure what was going to happen here but in her heart, she didn't think that Kuon had the odds in his favor this time.

 **End of Chapter Eighty Three**

 **Thank you for choosing to read**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eighty Two**

Ashenvale: Well hopefully it will be explained soon 😉

Crazy4Animation: Thank you 😊 I hope I do too

Kris XD: Well, he went through one of his worst fears, falling in love and then losing her

PaulaGaTo: I'm glad that you like it. Yes, they need to face this as a family


	84. Chapter 84 - Like a Bug

**AN:** Yesterday I kind of got conflicted in my writing, there were many ways to try to approach the beginning of this chapter and I actually started over three times to try to get it perfect. This is the one I like best and I hope you enjoy it too.

 **Chapter Eighty Four – Like a Bug**

Kuon stared at the man opposite him.

He looked very similar to how Kyoko had become but it was as if the ice had sunk into him more, that he had had more time to cope with it. Kuon sighed and realized the situation. He couldn't win against this man but he could try to use this as an opportunity to get what Kyoko was looking for, an explanation of her powers without her returning to the lake.

Instead of a fist, Kuon held out his hand, "Hizuri, Kuon," he told him before bowing, "I hope it's a pleasure to meet you," he said as he rose up but the man seemed to look at him as if he were some kind of insect that he needed to use pesticide on. It was a disgusted look but one that Kuon had seen before and many times during his childhood. It was the look of superiority over him.

Fortunately, someone else thinking that he was better than him wasn't something that scared Kuon off anymore. All that he cared about in this situation was his wife and his two little boys. Unless this man became a danger to them, he would try to restrain himself.

The woman he had been coaching bowed to him before rushing off which gave Kuon some relief. He hadn't wanted for her to get caught up in this type of situation.

"Kuon, let's go home," Kyoko whispered as she grabbed onto his arm and the man looked at her.

"You can't be serious," he said as he reached for Kyoko's hand but Kuon stepped in front of her protectively. "Mogami-san," he said as Kuon's eyes widened and he looked to Kyoko for a moment. The black-wigged woman shook her head immediately. "This man has no power of his own, he's mortal. All of the powers that he has are ones that he has trained himself to have, they are….created not bestowed."

"Bestowed by who?" Kuon asked but the other man seemed to ignore him. He really did think he was of a significantly lower class.

"I don't care that Kuon doesn't have any supernatural powers, if all you're after is someone who shares your powers you need to grow up," Kyoko argued, her eyes seeming to turn blue behind the contacts because of the anger. "So, he doesn't have powers, he still has an amazing character and I…"

The other man stepped forward and put his hand on the side of Kuon's neck, Kuon ducked but the hand remained there. Kyoko's eyes studied his hand, there was a silver-blue light there as he touched him and Kyoko realized that the man was trying to do to Kuon what she had accidentally done to Reino, stop him from breathing and freeze his thyroid and vocal cord.

Kyoko shoved him away but the man looked stunned even before he was pressed back.

"Kuon," Kyoko asked nervously as she looked at him, placing a soothing hand on his throat, "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

The man stared between the two of them, "How could that not have worked?" he asked as he looked at his hand and then directed his power at the wall, creating a shard of ice that looked like a mirror. He looked between them, "Unless, no it's not possible. This man has been _healed_ by your ice magic?" he asked as he looked to Kyoko who nodded, still keeping her eyes on Kuon. "Then my powers are useless when it comes to him. Well, if one of you falls out of love with the other, then they would work."

"What's so wrong about her healing me?" Kuon asked as the two of them shared another glance and still the man didn't respond to him, Kyoko put a hand on Kuon's shoulder.

"What's so wrong about me healing him?" she echoed the question and the man looked between them.

"Because…" he said, "only the truest form of love can bind people in the way that the two of you have been bound. The only person able to kill him with ice powers, is you," he told Kyoko who smiled in relief. She saw Kuon's grin to her and nodded. "I still would like to talk to you," he said and Kyoko nodded.

"Only if you can do it without the harm of my family," she told him as she held Kuon's hand. She was so lucky to be loved by somebody like Kuon and she would treasure that love over and over again every day. She would return it at the same strength he gave it. She couldn't keep herself from loving him.

….

….

Kyoko could sense that Kuon was still a little off as he picked up some more clothes that they could buy for their newborn son. They had had their love confirmed by someone with supernatural powers and still he seemed closed off and distant to her. She put her hand on the back of his shoulder. "I love those," she grinned, "They're so cute. I have an idea," she said with a playful grin, "I'm thinking of making them little Love Me outfits. That's a good idea, right?" she asked and Kuon laughed softly.

"It sounds good," he said as he let his thumb go down the little sleeve, he had forgotten how small babies arms were when they were just born. It had been a while since he had held a newborn baby in his arms and even longer since he had held his own daughter when she was that small.

"Kuon, talk to me," Kyoko said as she looked at him and he looked away, avoiding eye contact which only increased Kyoko's feeling that something was wrong. "Something is bothering you and if it's something that I can help you with."

"Am I enough for you?" he asked and Kyoko felt that she was slapped by that question, she took a couple of steps back as she noticed the conflict in his eyes. "Will you see me as just some insignificant little insect."

"Kuon," Kyoko said as she looked at him but then stuck her tongue out playfully, she lightly reached up and poked him in the forehead. "What on earth are you talking about? You're Kuon Hizuri, you're the boy who would comfort me when I was little and didn't know much about the world by pretending to be my fairy prince. You're the ten year old who left his special treasure in my hands because of how much he cared about my continued safety and happiness. You're the actor who always challenged me to do my best and stayed quiet for years about his feelings just to let me have the space that I needed and the ability to further myself as an actress. You're the person who proposed to me and married me and is the father to our child. You're the man who waited years for me, never giving up on the possibility that we could one day be reunited. Don't you _ever_ think that I don't see you as a god that I get to be with."

Kuon smiled as he looked at his hands, putting the outfits into a basket, "Even if I don't have ice powers?" he asked and Kyoko hugged him as close as possible.

"Yes, even if you don't have ice powers," she nodded, "You don't need special powers to win me or to impress me," she reminded him, "You've already won me and you make me proud to be your wife every day and I'm not going to have you feeling sorry for yourself because you don't feel worthy because you are the person with the greatest worth to me."

"How about we put the nursery together tonight? Put the last few things in?" he asked and Kyoko nodded, she placed her hand on his arm and kissed his shoulder.

"Will you wear tight pants?" she asked him playfully and Kuon laughed again.

"I will wear whatever you want me to wear," he winked, "but I'd rather wear something. I might be using a hammer and you never know what I might accidentally hit," he winked and Kyoko teasingly placed a hand on his ass, letting her fingers spread over it. Not enough for her? He shouldn't be so ridiculous.

…

…

"This?" Kuon asked with a soft laugh as he held up the joke gift that Lory had given him just a few months ago. He had one from years back when he and Kyoko had just started dating but Lory had said that with a return to Japan meant a return to other aspects of his life as well. Kuon just wasn't sure why Kyoko wanted him to wear this shocking pink work uniform. "Is this really what you want to see me in the most."

"Well, didn't Boss say that it was going to be tight on certain body parts?" Kyoko teased him and Kuon laughed softly.

"Something that I wish I have never ever heard," Kuon grinned before sighing and going off to change into the special classic Love Me uniform that Lory had given him. Maybe he was just trying to make him smile but Kuon would have to ask him to give Kyoko a new one after the babies had been born.

They'd have to start to exercise together as well since he didn't have the spinal injury and Kyoko wouldn't have to be mindful of their little boys. It would be fun going on those runs, maybe even going to the gym together. He couldn't wait for this next part of their lives to begin and if wearing a Love Me uniform would make her happiest then that's what he would do.

Kyoko was waiting for Kuon to return. Maybe she could focus more on something she could give him or do for him but she kept thinking about that other man. He had told them that his name was Yuki, but she wasn't sure that that was his actual name or whether it was just something related to his ice powers. He had given her his phone number and told her to contact him if she had any question.

The problem with him doing that is that of course she had questions, when it came to her powers, her mind never ran short of questions but she didn't want to approach this without Kuon. She hated the way that this man thought that they were so much better than Kuon. He didn't deserve to say that, he hadn't even made an attempt to get to know him.

Kyoko sighed. Why did life have to be so complicated? She tapped on the phone screen which was a picture of her and Kuon, her background after the lock screen had Bella in it as well. She didn't want anything to go wrong, she didn't want to hurt him just as he never wanted to hurt her. Marriage sometimes did feel like you and your partner were put on a raft in the middle of a storm but they rarely fought and when they did it was about stupid little stuff that couldn't even be called a fight.

Would contacting Yuki be the first step in hurting her marriage. She sighed, looking down, she would contact him this evening and try to figure out a way of getting her questions answered without Kuon feeling as if he was not involved in this. Her marriage was far too strong to be broken so easily, right?

 **End of Chapter Eighty Four**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eighty Three, can you believe only sixteen before 100**

Ashenvale: Well he tried but he wasn't expecting Kuon's immunity to his ice powers

Brennakai: nope 😊

Erza: Well I hope not to let you down in that case 😊

KrisXD: The kind of idiot who will hopefully be an interesting character in this fic

Loyalty counts: It's okay, people get busy but thank you for the review here, I do appreciate it

PaulaGaTo: We'll have to wait and see


	85. Chapter 85 - A Big Sister

**AN:** Not a lot of plot twists or great development in this chapter but I thought that the scenes were important to show. The memory at the end is short but I hope it's as cute to you as it felt to me writing it. Thank you for all of your support, the job search continues but I'm learning to suppress my anxiety about it. Thank you again for your support.

 **Chapter Eighty Five – A Big Sister**

The following day, the nursery had been completed for the two little boys. There was a lot of blue in it but there were also other colors as well. The walls were painted with an ombre effect going from a dark purple at the bottom to a calming blue at the top. The books had said that a soft blue color was ideal for calming infants but the books had also delivered some incorrect information as well.

With help from Kuu, everything had been put into its proper place and the babies room looked ideal for the two soon to be born boys.

"Have you two thought of a name yet?" Kuu asked as he turned to them and Kuon smiled towards Kyoko.

"We have a list of the top six," she said and then sat down in the rocking chair, placing her hands over the babies. She smiled as she felt them kick and slowly began to rock back and forth. "We really want to put 'kuu' in there," she said and Kuu looked at them with a huge grin. Kyoko realized that this was the first time that they had told him that.

"We just thought it was fitting, I mean, with the way that you and Mom named me, it is kind of tradition," Kuon grinned as he stood by Kyoko and held her hand. He saw that his dad was looking more and more excited about this. He also noticed that there were some tears in his eyes because of the happiness that this gave him.

"So, we've been considering Rikuu, Miyakuu, but we've also been considering other names that lightly touch kuu such as Yuuki, Haruu," she said and Kuon coughed.

"I've been liking the name Yuuki less recently, could we remove that?" he asked thinking about that ice man who had trouble understanding that Kyoko was already claimed. He didn't want to think about that stranger coming to him and saying how he was so important to Kyoko that they had named their child after him.

Kyoko touched his arm with the hand that he wasn't holding and looked up at him, "You told me that you really liked the name because of somebody else," she tried to remind him. Kuon paused and looked down, he sighed and ran a few fingers through his blond strands.

"Okay," he sighed, "We can keep the name Yuuki," he smiled to her and then bowed his head. "It's a really good thing that we haven't told him that idea. You know how much of a fanboy he can act like," Kuon joked and Kyoko looked up at him playfully.

"You always say that he's your best friend," she reminded him.

"He _is_ my best friend," Kuon nodded, wanting to defend that highly important friendship with his manager, "but that's why I get to make fun of him. I mean, I've heard you make fun of Kanae-san before."

Kyoko poked her tongue out at her husband playfully before nodding. She smiled as she put her hand back on her stomach. Today was one of those days which they would be spending apart but the two of them had made plans with their two best friends and Kyoko was getting very excited about Kanae being able to come over and have a girls day with her.

Kuu smiled at the two of them, he really was looking forward to having two grandsons. As Kuu left the room, wanting to give the couple some time together, he heard the soft sobbing coming from Bella's room and he closed the door to the nursery. The sound coming from her room made Kuu feel that Bella didn't want to be heard by her parents.

Kuu made his way over to her room and knocked on the door, he opened it gently and Bella tried hard to stop crying as she cuddled Marie. She let the white cat down and Marie went to her bed in Bella's room. Kuu watched the little kitten with a smile.

"She's very cute," he commented and Bella nodded.

"Yeah, we picked her out together," she said as she went over to grab a stick with a feather on it that Bella batted. Kuu watched her trying to figure out the best way of handling this situation. Kuu sighed, placing his hands on top of his knees as he sat on the bed.

"Bella, do you want to tell Grandpa what's wrong?" he asked and Bella looked at Marie before putting the toy away. She looked back at her grandfather.

"Mommy and Daddy are really happy about the new babies," she said and Kuu nodded.

"Yes, I remember them being just as excited when they learned they were going to have their first child, a little girl that they were so happy to greet. Your dad was so nervous before you were born about how to be a good daddy, he's learned a lot," he said as he felt that Bella was feeling overshadowed. It was a common problem for older siblings.

"I want to be a good sister but I…" she put a sleeve up to her eyes, "what if they think the new babies are better?" she asked and Kuu shook his head.

"No, your parents love you. You know that they love you, right?" he asked and Bella nodded before running into her grandpa's arms, trying to stop her tears. She felt selfish but her daddy had always been there for her. She was scared that he might stop.

"I know but….but babies are new…they need more attention and help and…." Bella cried into his chest and Kuu rubbed her back.

"They do but your parents will still take time for you," Kuu said, "plus, they're going to need some help and I think the boys are going to need a big sister to guide them in life. You want to be a good big sister, right?" he asked and Bella nodded.

"Then why don't you see if there's anything that you can help with. It'll be fun for you three to take care of the little boys together and they'll want their big sister to read to them, to play with them, to show them things that your mother and father can't," he told her.

Bella sniffed, "Like which are the best types of cookies?" she asked and Kuu nodded.

"Exactly," he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Why don't you sit here with Grandpa and then when you're ready we can go and see how we can help, okay?" he asked and Bella closed her eyes, taking comfort in being with her loving grandfather.

"Okay," she nodded as she sniffed again, "Okay."

…

…

"Is this okay?" Bella asked as she lifted the pig toy that Kyoko was teaching her to sew. Kuon had gone out with Yashiro for a walk and to discuss the next steps of his career and Bella had expressed that she was feeling a little left out so she and Kyoko had discussed things that she could do for the twins to feel more involved. They had decided that Bella was going to try to make two small animals and Kyoko had walked her through the steps.

They had picked the animals, three little pigs with one of them being a feature of the room and one to each of the babies and they had cut the fabric together. Next Bella would hand sew the fabric and then they would use some stuffing to make them plush. It might not be as high tech as going to the Build a Bear Workshop but it felt more personal and Bella was glad that she could give the babies something that she had created with her own hands.

Kyoko admired the stitching, it was in a straight line and looked small but tight. It was actually quite impressive how quickly Bella had absorbed the information. She was definitely Kuon's daughter. "That looks great, Bella," Kyoko told her with a smile. Kyoko pinched the side of what would become the brick pig's arm and nodded. "Yes, see how tightly you've sewn these pieces together," she said and Bella nodded, "That means that none of the stuffing is going to come out."

"They'll like them, right?" Bella asked eagerly, her face showing her excitement when it came to giving her brothers presents and Kyoko nodded.

"I know they'll love them," she said as she handed the arm back to Bella. "They'll love them even more when they are old enough to understand the love and care that their big sister put in to make them such special toys," she said and Bella smiled before staring to sew together the pig's stomach. She looked up as she heard the doorbell ring and Kyoko smiled at her.

"That must be Moko-chan," she said as Bella tensed and Kyoko tilted her head to the side, observing her daughter. "Bella, is something wrong?"

"Do I have to leave?" Bella asked and Kyoko shook her head slowly. "Sometimes when other grown ups come over, I have to play somewhere else."

"Well today you don't have to and I'm sure that your Daddy didn't have you do that all the time," Kyoko smiled as the doorbell got pressed again. Bella nodded, "and when he did was it when he was discussing work," another nod, "but this is Moko-chan and she won't mind if you spend the day with us," Kyoko tried to encourage Bella who nodded and gave a sigh of relief.

Kyoko grinned too before approaching the door, "Hiii," she said excitedly as Kanae looked at her stomach. "Isn't it great how big I am," Kyoko laughed, "That means that the boys growth isn't stunted. They'll be coming at the end of next month, that's great, right?" Kyoko smiled and Kanae nodded.

"It's good. I've been looking up ways to slim down after the babies are born," Kanae told her, "Hopefully you'll be able to," she rolled her eyes, "I know that it's important to men that their wi-"

"Kuon wouldn't care if I was twice this size, he'd love me and he'd challenge anyone who would try to fat shame me," Kyoko cut her off. She didn't want to hear any attack or accusation of the man she loves. "Bella's excited to spend the day with us, that's alright, isn't it?" Kyoko asked as Bella peeped out from behind the door.

Kanae nodded, "The more the merrier," she said as Bella ran out and hugged her legs.

Kyoko softly placed a hand on Kanae's back, "Please don't throw her," she whispered, "I think Bella would understand if you did but Kuon might not. He's not the type of person who would carelessly throw another human being."

Kanae raised an eyebrow and then rolled her eyes, "You think I carelessly do it?" she asked but Kyoko was already humming and making her way back into the living room with Bella going back to sewing the pigs.

…

…

 _Kuon smiled at his four-year-old daughter as her eyes lit up at the store they were standing in. He had recently been to see his therapist who strongly supported his idea of taking a week off of work to be with his daughter. Kuon had decided that he would take Isabella to the Build a Bear Workshop this day and he was so glad that he had decided to do so._

 _He watched as his daughter walked underneath the animals and then looked at all the clothes that she could dress the animal in. Kuon was happy that he could see this excitement and joy in the little girl. He paused as Bella came back to grab his hand and pull him to look at the tiaras and princess items._

" _It's pretty, Daddy," she giggled as she held up a purple dress with sparkles on it._

 _Kuon nodded with a smile, "It's very pretty," he said as he let his hand roam over the top of her head. "Why don't we pick out your animal?" he asked as he took her back to where the bodies were for the different animals. "And we'll need to choose your heart as well," he pointed and Bella nodded. She looked up and then pointed to one at the top._

" _I like the unicorn," she said and Kuon wrapped his arms around her giving her a hug from behind her._

" _I like the unicorn too," he grinned. He wanted to give his daughter memories like these. Even if he sucked as a father, seeing his daughter smiling and getting interested in the world around her was good enough for him. Hopefully his skills at parenting would improve because he wanted Bella to be as happy as she could possibly be. She was the most important gift that Kyoko had ever shared with him and she deserved to be treasured and shown how truly special and important she was._

 **End of Chapter Eighty Five**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eighty Four**

Ashenvale: Yep, but our other Yuki needs more screen time 😉 or page time

Brennakai: Yes, plus they both care about the safety and happiness of the other.

Erza: Glad to hear that 😊 Well they already have one child but the two boys will be born soon 😊

Kris XD: Glad you liked the chapter and definitely, they do love each other in a way others can't understand


	86. Chapter 86 - Worthy

**AN:** I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I wanted to let you know that there isn't an end date in sight for this fic, this fic is something I can use to write daily but thank you so much for continuing to watch me 😊 I very much appreciate it. I'm also debating on a storyline where Kyoko finds it hard to lose the baby weight.

 **Chapter Eighty Six - Worthy**

Kuon smiled up at the birds as he and Yashiro walked along under the bright sun and the chirping birds. It was the times when he felt most connected to nature where Kuon felt happiest and this was definitely one of those times. Being in the brisk October air made him feel as if his worries would soon change like the changing autumn leaves. There were so many fun things that he could do with his family towards the end of the year as well.

"Is Bella going to dress up for Halloween?" Yashiro asked and Kuon blinked, he really hadn't been paying attention. "You're going to do Halloween for her or no because of the babies?" Yashiro asked as he adjusted his glasses. "Hana wants us to celebrate it with Ren," he said talking about his son.

"I think that I should apologize to her for that," Kuon laughed softly as he reflected on the fact that Yashiro had asked his wife for them to use the name Ren for his little boy. "We need to start finding time for him to come over, Bella loves playing with him."

"I think Hana needs him right now," Yashiro said weakly. "She's looking for work but it seems a tough time with the economy right now," he said and Kuon paused.

"Would it help if I started to look for work a little earlier, I feel that I kicked you guys out of your house. I could have affor-"

Yashiro gave Kuon a look, silently asking him not to feel guilty about what had happened. Kuon regaining the ability to live a normal life was a miracle and that it had happened in such a short time frame was such a miracle that Yashiro didn't want to question it and have it shatter and turn out to be a false reality.

"You said that you made your intentions known to Lory," Yashiro said and Kuon nodded slowly, "And that you wanted to do a few things here and there during the holiday season and then get back to acting in the new year. I think that you should continue that plan," he said honestly and Kuon hesitated.

"I think that Kyoko might be attracted to someone else," he said.

There was silence between the two men for a moment before Yashiro reached up and very gently slapped Kuon in the forehead. The blond blinked and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"What did you do that for?" he asked, his emerald eyes trying to pull out the answers that Yashiro was keeping buried.

"Kyoko being with someone else, the idea is laughable. She loves you, she makes that known to you every day, doesn't she?" Yashiro tested Kuon who nodded, "and you go and say that she doesn't love you, who are you to say that to her?"

"I didn't say that she didn't love me," Kuon said, "I'm just thinking about this other guy who can give her things that I can't, someone who she has more in common with than me, someone who might actually be able to help her in a way that I can't."

"I might have to slap you again," Yashiro said as he watched his friend. "You are like a younger brother to me, Kuon. I hope that you can remember that. Plus who can think that you're anything other than an extraordinary person. What matters most though is that you _waited_ for Kyoko. Despite all of the pain that you went through, you wanted to be with her and only her and I know it's the same for her."

Kuon sighed and looked over at a stream where some ducks were swimming, they looked so innocent as they glided across the water. He didn't know how he would feel to be one of those ducks and to have the fear that at some point he may be turned head first under the water and drown.

God, he was so morbid these days.

"There's something that this one man can do that I can't do," Kuon attempted to explain, he bowed his head. "And no matter how much I may _try_ to do it, it's something that you have to be born with or cursed by. This man can show Kyoko so much more than I can."

"And yet, he isn't you," Yashiro smiled as Kuon blinked. "You should have learned that your family and friends don't care about your abilities and what you find ease in doing. We care about the person who you are inside, that is the person who matters and that is the Kuon that I can so easily see."

Kuon stared at him before nodding slowly.

"You're not my friend because you're a great actor," Yashiro continued, "That might have been why we spent so much time together in the past but I know that if I need someone to listen to me or to help me with something, I can rely on you. You just need to start relying on yourself, Kuon. That's one of your biggest faults," he smiled and Kuon rolled his eyes with a gentle laugh.

"But you're still my friend?" he asked and Yashiro nodded.

"Of course I'm still your friend," he said. Yashiro knew that he and Kuon would continue this discussion in the future, this was their natural pattern but Kuon's friendship was worth it. He just needed so much more self-confidence than what he was used to.

…

…

Kanae smiled at her friend as Kyoko set the finished pig up proudly on the table. Kanae had always thought that Kyoko could be good with a child but then when they had first met one another, Kyoko had seemed to be very crafty. She was more of a homemaker than Kane was and that was something Kane was irritated by. She was irritated that she was reminded of what a woman traditionally was.

All the chances that she had had in life came from her own hard work and perseverance but now she was starting to see that opening yourself and having a family only expanded someone's life. Kanae had to admit that Kuon never seemed like the type of person who would selfishly lock away his wife and make sure that she only did house chores.

Her friend had been lucky to find a man like that who proved that sometimes you could rely on love despite the disgustingness of that behavior. Kanae looked down at her lap where she had pictures that she had been showing Kyoko of her photo shoot. Maybe she could try to find her own love, find some ha-

"Moko-chan?" Kyoko asked as she tilted her head to the side, "Is something wrong? You've just been staring straight ahead," she said as she made a circle with her finger, "Concentrating on this part right here. You do look so cute though," Kyoko laughed and gave a thumbs up to her friend. Kanae blinked hard and managed to get herself awake again.

"Do you think that Hiou would go out with me again?" Kanae asked and Kyoko laughed playfully, "I mean, the age gap shouldn't be a problem, you've got a ten year age gap in your marriage," she said and Kyoko paused for a moment. She looked down and Kanae opened her mouth, "It's not really a bad thing if you're both aware of it, right? You can't just start thinking that it's a bad thing now," she panicked and Kyoko shook her head.

"No, there's only a four year age gap between Kuon and I," Kyoko tried to correct her.

Kanae looked at her confused, "I'm not saying that it's bad but -"

"There's four years of separation between Kuon and I, I am a twenty-eight year old woman. That is the way that I've decided to live my life. I don't care if the acting industry prefers women who are younger," Kyoko smiled. "I don't want to feel pulled away from his side," Kyoko put a hand to her heart and smiled softly at Kanae, "You might think of love as a silly emotion and that I am silly myself for putting so much faith in my love for Kuon but he is what is most important to me, him, Bella, and our little boys."

"I don't think it's stupid," Kanae said honestly and Kyoko felt tears in her eyes, "You're very lucky to have someone like Kuon at your side. I wish that I had that type of person in my life," Kanae said as she tried desperately to stop her friend from crying.

It was at this point that the door was unlocked and Kyoko tried to wipe off her hears with the back of her sleeve. Kyoko was taken aback as she saw the way that Kuon was advancing towards her with a sense of purpose.

"Kyoko," he said before dropping onto one knee in front of her and Kyoko leaned forwards, her eyes questioning him and then going to Yashiro who didn't seem to have any idea what Kuon was planning on either. "I love you and I know that you love me, I know that we'll always keep that love a treasured part of one another but I want to ask you to consider the option of having a commitment ceremony with me."

Kanae paused and stood up. She hated to admit it but this made her nauseous, wasn't one wedding enough for people? Why did people, especially Americans like Kuon, try to get married again and again and again.

Kyoko wasn't saying anything at first, her eyes soaking him in whilst going over the words in her mind, "A commitment ceremony," she nodded before letting out a happy sob. "Yes, Kuon, I'd love to have a commitment ceremony with you but please don't let the president plan it," she said and Kuon kissed her, letting a hand sit on her stomach.

"You're getting married again?" Bella asked excitedly, "Do I get to be part of the wedding?" Kyoko nodded and Yashiro laughed happily as Kanae stared at them stunned. So this is what people did when they had too much time and too much money, they just decided to get married all over again.

Maybe that's why Americans would constantly say that they were broke.

…

…

 _The three year old looked around the room curiously. This was the room where her daddy would often like to be by himself to do 'portant stuff. She really loved playing with him but he had told her that the office was for working. One thing that she did love most was the altar. There was a picture of her mother there and her daddy would sometimes but new fresh flowers there or light incense or candles._

 _Her grandfather had told her that it was something that her daddy did when he wanted to spend time with her mother who wasn't there. Maybe if her mother would come back then things would be good for her daddy again, maybe._

 _Still, even her daddy bought her mother flowers when she wasn't there to enjoy them and they were the prettiest red roses. That's what princes gave to princesses in her movies for their eternal, undying, unwavering love for their beloved. Bella had never seen her father as anything less than a prince._

 **End of Chapter Eighty Six**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Eighty Five**

Brennakai: Yep, having love grandparents is great when your own parents aren't aware and Kuu is a great grandfather

KrisXD: Glad you liked the Kuu scene and you're right, they do only have one little princess

PaulaGaTo: Don't worry, they will be born soon


	87. Chapter 87 - Hiroyuki and Kazuo

**AN:** First of all, I decided to skip some time so this will be the chapter in which the babies are born. There's a twist with one of them which was actually a suggestion that a few readers had. I hope you enjoy this twist and like the introduction of the twins.

 **Chapter Eighty Seven – Hiroyuki and Kazuo**

"Kuon," Kyoko said softly as she sat on their bed at the end of the night. She was watching Kuon get changed into a loose t-shirt and pajama pants. She really liked seeing his exposed body and she loved that she was the only person in the world to know his measurements and body proportions. She liked that he was loyal to her and that even if she looked different because of the ice powers, his eyes never showed that he saw her as anything other than beautiful.

"Come here," she said as she reached out for him and Kuon went to her side, getting on top of the bed and letting his hand cup her cheek, kissing her passionately on the lips and pulling back. Kyoko had her eyes closed as she gave into the experience. He always made her feel so special and romantic but she hadn't been asking for a kiss this time.

"Is that better?" he asked as he leaned down and Kyoko lifted a finger, placing it on his lips.

"Kuon, are you sure that you want a commitment ceremony?" she asked. She didn't want to stop one from happening because she wanted to celebrate their love together. They had missed so many wedding anniversaries, anniversaries of their first date, anniversaries of their confessions of love, but she need to make sure that love really was the main reason for Kuon doing this.

"I thought that it would be nice," Kuon told her, "After all of the time that we've missed being together, I thought that it'd be a way where we can show the world that we still love each other as much as before," he tried to convince her and Kyoko nodded.

"Well, anyone who knows about the two of us and still has difficulty thinking of that is truly an idiot," she said before looking down, "but also, are you sure that this is what _you_ want," she saw a look of hurt in his eyes, "It's what I want but I know you're never going to be a social butterfly."

"Around people we don't know, sure but…" Kuon frowned, "Why are you asking me this?"

Kyoko looked down, she didn't want to say it but it was troubling her. She wanted to be so wrong about this and to have him laugh it off but it was something that he might do. "Kuon, if you're acting this way because you feel threatened by Yuki then don't do it. He might have ice powers which are the same as mine but that doesn't mean he's better than you. I'm sure that if you asked Ya-"

"Yashiro did say the same thing to me," Kuon admitted and Kyoko nodded slowly. "I'm not doing it just because of him, I'm doing it because I love you and I don't want to feel that there's this distance between us anymore because of what happened."

"In you thinking that I'm dead," Kyoko said and Kuon nodded, "Even so, if any of this is only because you want to show him that you are my prince then you don't need to try so hard. I know by now that my heart isn't a rotating door, it's firmly closed with you inside of it. I don't want you not to trust me."

Kuon looked down his face showing the many layers of self-doubt he was dealing with, "This person has ice powers. I mean, that alone makes him more impressive than me."

Kyoko shook her head, "So what, so he has ice powers," she said, "He didn't wait for me for six years. He didn't remain loyal to me even though it must have been so hard. He didn't raise a wonderful daughter, our wonderful daughter. All of those amazing and human things are one million times better than having power over ice."

Kuon sighed, "How come you always can bring me back to reality?" he asked as he kissed her again, "Thank you, my princess," he grinned and Kyoko wrapped her arms back around him.

"It's because you make our reality a safe place for me to be. It's because I can be with you there, that's what is really and truly important to me."

….

….

Kyoko held tightly to Kuon's hand on November 15th whilst lying down in the hospital room. She hated to admit it because she wanted to be praised for how strong she was but giving birth to the twins was a little easier than giving birth to Bella even though there were two of them. This wasn't the right time to be thinking about that and she had to hold onto Kuon's hand whilst she pushed out the first baby. 

Kuon was close to her side, one arm supporting her from the side and the other hand holding onto hers. He was doing his best to support her but it didn't seem to be quite enough. He hoped that his presence in the room at least had a calming factor on him.

"I don't know h—how….I….than—thank you…Ku…" she said before trying to push again and Kuon supported her, he helped a nurse place a damp cloth on Kyoko's forehead and then smiled as he saw a little baby get lifted up and cleaned up before being wrapped up to protect him. Kuon coughed softly as he looked up at the little boy.

"He's okay, right?" Kuon asked and Kyoko heard the sound of the baby crying, "He's not…"

"He's doing well but you don't have too much more time, Kyoko," the doctor reminded her, she crouched down again and Kyoko felt something weird with this second baby. It felt cold and wet as if she was an ice machine. She didn't want there to be a problem with their second son but she was terrified.

Kuon looked at the doctors and saw the confusion in their eyes.

"I didn't know why this wasn't detected on the scanners," the doctor commented and Kyoko started to panic a little.

"What is it?" Kuon asked concerned, "What's happening? Is he okay?" he looked at the baby as Kyoko managed to get him out and blinked hard. He looked at the doctors and then saw Kyoko staring at him. The second baby started crying the same as the first but the doctors still looked concerned.

"He's just a little paler than his twin," Kuon said as he helped them clean up the second baby. The second little boy wasn't white but he was paler and he did have very blue eyes. His body temperature seemed to be low but he didn't look to be in any pain. Kuon showed the baby to Kyoko and she sat up slowly but as she moved, her wig fell off to show her black hair which was covered in sweat.

Kuon looked at her confused before turning to the second baby, he carefully moved him over to Kyoko's arms and took hold of his oldest son. "Hi, little guy," he smiled as he held him, "I'm your daddy. I'm so happy to meet you," he said as he kissed the boy's forehead and then looked down at the boy that Kyoko was holding. "I don't see anything wrong with him, they are both so perfect," he said happily before the doctor looked at them.

"Kuon-san," she said and Kuon nodded, "Your mother's side of the family, do you know if there were any Russian albinos?" she asked and Kuon paused.

"I'm not sure," he said honestly. He didn't know what to think or what to say, yes, these babies had an eighth Russian ancestry as did Isabella, but was albinism something that Russia had and was that the problem they were seeing in his son. Kuon paused, wait….what if it was this little boy who had had the ice powers, did that mean that maybe he wasn't even his father?

…

…

A couple of hours later, Kyoko was holding the youngest boy, Hiroyuki on her lap. He had gained a stable albeit slightly low body temperature as well as a little color to his skin. He wasn't albino but he was close to being so. Hopefully it wouldn't cause him too many problems. They had chosen the name Hiroyuki first off because of the snow and second because of its meaning, widespread happiness. It was a way to celebrate his hidden powers and not a way of bullying him from an early age.

His older brother, Kazuo, had a name meaning harmonious male or first male. They had originally wanted to have more similar names but after seeing Yuki's condition and envisioning that there may be some very hard years ahead for the little boys, it was important to make their names meaningful.

Kuon smiled at Kazuo as he heard a knock on the door and Kyoko pulled Hiroyuki into her body, trying to give him more warmth with her love. Kuon looked up troubled as his parents came in, wanting to see their grandchildren. Kuon looked over at Kyoko as she pulled the blanket closer to Hiroyuki.

"Is something wrong?" Julie asked as she looked between them and smiled at the little boy that her son was holding, "Oh my….they are so precious, my precious little grandsons," she said and Kuu grinned down at Isabella who was looking excited that her brothers were there. "Can I?" Julie asked and Kuon nodded, transferring the baby over to her. "Hi, precious. You're such a cutie aren't you?" she asked, "I'm your grandmother, I'm really happy to meet you," she looked up at Kuon. "He's going to be a heartbreaker."

"His name is Kazuo," Kuon said and Julie nodded as she gazed upon him, "There's a slight problem with Hiroyuki and we really do hope that you will help us and keep this a secret," Kuon said weakly and Bella looked at him, her eyes widening as she went towards her mother even faster to get a look at her brother.

"What's wro-he's very pale," Bella said before reaching out a hand for him and she froze as she felt water on the finger he was holding to. She looked at him before seeing a little flurry around him for a second. "Is he ice magic?" she asked and Kyoko nodded as Kuu stared at them, moving so that he could see Yuki.

"Oh gosh," he said as he looked at his grandson, "Is he okay? Why is he so pale?" Kuu reached to hold him and Kyoko immediately left him. "Hi, little guy," Kuu said as he looked over at Julie with anxiety in his eyes. He didn't seem to have the normal temperature of a baby."

"We think that he's okay but we need to ask you for your support," Kuon said as he went to Kyoko's side. "When Kyoko came back from her sleep, she had brought some ice magic with her and other the past months, her powers have really developed….but when Hiroyuki was born, Kyoko seems to have lost those powers and we think that they transferred to him. I don't think there's a cure for it but we don't want him treated any differently. We might need your help more than ever so please -"

"You think that I can ever turn a blind eye to my grandchildren?" Kuu asked and pulled the baby closer to his body. "We are his grandparents, we are not going to let anyone harm a hair on his head. You can trust us."

"Of course you can trust us," Julie said, "We love our grandchildren, all three of them are precious to us. We will stand beside them no matter what."

Kyoko smiled gratefully and bowed her head, "Thank you, both of you, thank you for being such incredible grandparents."

 **End of Chapter Eighty Seven**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Eighty Six**

Brennakai: I agree. I also think there are so many great types of men and hate that a lot of people feed into the problems of current culture by only showing strong lumberjack men. I think we have to be accepting of all people 😊

Erza: I'm so glad to hear that you like this 😊 There will be a lot of family moments to come

Kris XD: Definitely 😊


	88. Chapter 88 - Safety in the Crib

**AN:** Hope you enjoy

 **Chapter Eighty Eight – Safety in the Crib**

Kuon kept his eyes on Hiroyuki nervously as he lay in his crib, he placed a gentle finger on his stomach feeling him breathe up and down. His chest raised and fell so naturally. It was good that he was able to cope and be like Kazuo. The main differences were in his skin color, he was extremely pale almost like ice but his hair was only slightly lighter than Kuon's natural color. Kuon just hoped that he would have a life filled with acceptance. There was too much cruelty out there.

"I can't help but to keep watching him as well," Kyoko said nervously. She looked over at Kazuo who was staring at his little brother before yawning and closing his eyes. Kyoko gently kissed the top of Kazuo's head, he looked very different from his brother but there were a lot of the same bone structure. It was mainly the skin color, the hair color, and the eye color that were different. Everything else was a blend of her and Kuon, just as it should be.

Kuon nodded and he looked over at Kazuo, "I…I hate to say this," he said, his eyes showing that he was worried about whatever it was he would say next, "but is it safe for Kazuo to be so close to Yuki? The books say that newborns are very very sensitive to changes in temperature and I don't think Yuki can change what is going on with him," he bowed his head, "Tell me that the other Yuki is out of our lives, that we don't ever have to introduce them to one another and he thinks he's the reason."

"We know the reason is because it means snow," Kyoko said as she saw Yuki wake up and stretch out, "Hi, my little Hiroyuki," she said as she picked him up. "Besides, we can always say that we wanted to use the name of Yukihito," she said and Kuon nodded. "And they have different name spellings so the snow is only buried in there."

Kuon raised an eyebrow as he studied her, "Is that a pun?" he asked and Kyoko nodded. "Cute," he smiled and watched as Kyoko walked around with Hiroyuki in her arms. "Maybe we should call him Hiro instead?" he asked and Kyoko hummed.

"Hiro, I like that part of the name too, don't you, Hiro?" she asked as she saw the baby sleep close to her. "He reminds me of all of these fairytale books where the child was so delicate and that she had to be protected inside of a….that's really not such a good story now that I really think about it."

"Stories can be changed, if there's something that he wants to do then we find way of moving things around so that he at least gets a shot at achieving his dream," Kuon said as he raised his head. He definitely was a dedicated and passion driven father. "Will you be okay if I go and spend some time with Bella?" Kuon asked and Kyoko nodded in response.

"I think that both she and I would love that," Kyoko attempted to assure him. She turned back to the small baby in her arms, "Your daddy just wants what is best for you, Yu-Hiro," she said as she understood the insecurity of the name despite them both deciding to give it to him. Hiroyuki or Hiro would be just fine for her even though her little boy was white as snow.

…..

…

Bella was reading a book when Kuon found her, he sat down beside her and smiled as she grinned and closed the book. "How are they?" she asked eagerly. She didn't know what was wrong with Hiroyuki other than the ice powers but she wanted to make sure that he was okay. She was scared of accidentally hurting him and so hadn't played with them very much. They were still young, there was still time.

"They are very good, very loud so thank you for being so considerate of them, Bella," Kuon grinned to her and Bella rolled her eyes.

"They're going to break my ear drums," she teased and Kuon pulled her close to his chest.

"We're just going to have to make sure that that doesn't happen," Kuon said and brushed back Bella's hair. He hoped that the boys really weren't keeping her awake all night. Bella was only seven years old, she needed to get her sleep as well. "I was thinking that since Grandma is going to come over and help Mommy tomorrow that the two of us could go and do something together," he told her and Bella smiled.

"What about Grandpa? Is he working?" Bella asked and Kuon hummed. He knew that his dad had something to do in the morning but was finished before noon. Maybe there was some reason why his mother had wanted to visit the babies without his father.

"Oh, I thought that we could spend the day together, Bella, but if you'd prefer to spend it with Grandpa?" he asked and Bella shook her head.

"Can we go to Disneyland together, the three of us?" she asked and Kuon smiled.

"If it's okay with Grandpa, we can do that in the afternoon," he told her lovingly. "It'd be the three of us though but I'm sure that Mommy and Grandma will be okay with us going without them. Are you sure that you want Grandpa to come?" he asked and Bella nodded eagerly, "Okay, I'll find out if we can do that right now," he said as he picked up his phone and his eyes caught onto the fact that Lory had called him twice. Was there something that he had forgotten about?

After Kuon had called his dad who was excited to go with his son and granddaughter to the amusement park, Kuon looked at his phone and thought about the missed call. It might be something important. Hopefully not, he didn't want any more shocking plot twists right now.

With a deep inhale, Kuon called the number for the president and sat down on a bench just outside the front door. He waited for the president to pick up and bowed his head, "Hi, boss," he grinned weakly, "sorry that I wasn't able to answer your calls. It's been a little hectic bringing the boys home. How are you?"

"Well now that I can have them stop making my tombstone for me since I won't die of worry over you and the boys," Lory said dramatically, "I'm doing a lot better. Speaking of which, when are you and Kyoko going to bring those two mini Kuon's over here and have people take a look at them."

Kuon looked down. He felt that he could trust Lory but he didn't want to say anything in case Kyoko had different feelings about how they could keep Hiro safe. He definitely needed help if the boys were going to have photographs taken of them. The last thing he wanted was for their children to go into the foster care system because of a rare ability that their youngest child had. He didn't want Hiroyuki to go to a laboratory either. He ran his hand through his hair.

"Kuon, you haven't said anything for a little bit," Lory said and then his voice took on a more serious nature, "Does that mean that there is some kind of problem with the babies?" he asked.

"I don't know how to explain it but we have to keep it top secret and I….we just want to do what is best for our children," Kuon said and Lory could sense the agony in his voice and mannerisms.

"Is it something that I can help with?" Lory asked and Kuon sighed.

"Probably, knowing all of your plans this is most likely something we could rely on you for but it's a secret and I don't feel comfortable talking about this without Kyoko beside me. We need to keep our son safe and I trust you, you kept me safe when I was losing it but this…we really need to keep Hiroyuki safe. Kazuo is doing well but his brother."

"Go talk to Kyoko and then call me if there's anything at all that I can help with," Lory said and Kuon felt his stomach fold over. Was it really okay to get even more people involved in their situation?

…..

…..

"He's an impressive little guy," Lory said as he sat with Hiro in his arms whilst dressed as a medieval king. Kyoko sat across from him with her hands on her still large belly and Kuon held Kazuo close to his chest, kissing his forehead. Lory watched as Hiro reached to his drink and blinked as he saw the little boy freeze the drink.

"We really want him to be safe," Kyoko said as she had her hands in her lap. "We believe in you and that you are going to help us," she said to the president who watched Kuon and saw the worry on his face as well.

"He will be safe," Lory said as he pushed another glass away from the baby. He held Hiro securely in his lap. "You know, there was one video game, actually a few of them that had girls who had ice powers and you had to be able to cope with them and keep them away from fire so that they fell in love with you. If they melted then you couldn't open the special levels."

"That's great," Kuon laughed awkwardly as he sat down in a seat and looked at Hiroyuki who seemed to be happily taking in this new world that was around him.

"Kuon, listen carefully to me," Lory said and Kuon looked across at him. "It wasn't great, if I wasn't careful with my choices then the women melted, all together it took me hours to woo these women and keep their bodies at the ideal temperature but the reward was huge in the end."

"In your dating simulation?" Kyoko asked.

"Life is very much like a simulation but it's harder to get people to make the decision that you want them to make, I think that you two are living proof of that. Still, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't have any babies at all."

Bella looked at the group of them from her book, "Everyone is too worried about Hiroyuki, he's fine. He's not wrong or bad. He's just special and special can be good. Kazuo is special as well."

"And so are you. You are so beautiful, Bella," Lory smiled to her, "Are you going to come and spend some time at LME as well, become a young actress. We could even get you started in our modelling depar-"

"I'm going to be a soccer player," Bella interrupted him, "And play professionally and then I'll model as a soccer player. I would be playing right now but Daddy tol-"

Kuon rolled his eyes but handed Kazuo to Kyoko, "How about we go play? I know that I asked you to wait but I know that it's been more time than I said," he looked to Lory, "thank you," he mouthed before going to play with Bella. "Thank you for waiting as long as you did," he told the little girl but Kyoko turned her full attention to the president.

"I really hope that Hiro is able to do everything that he dreams about," Kyoko mused and Lory looked at her.

"For as many years as I'm still on this earth, I will push all obstacles I am able to for you and your family, Kyoko," Lory promised and Kyoko smiled at that, "Did you want a print out of the conversations with the ice girls."

Kyoko laughed, "Sure," she nodded, "Sure, it sounds interesting."

 **End of Chapter Eighty Eight**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Eighty Seven**

brennakai: Yep and he'll have to really work on controlling those powers as he grows up

Erza: I've seen reports about that but I also read it's cultural and in British culture (unless it's daylight savings time) the oldest is the one born first. It Is really interesting to know what different cultures see though so thanks for letting me know that 😉 Kazuo is older in this one.

Kris XD: I'm glad you like them, I just wish I could draw well enough to show you what I imagine them to look like

Loyalty counts: That's okay, we've all been busy. I'm too busy to write more than this one chapter a day but I hope soon I can write more.

Paulagato: Well, he won't hurt Kyoko but yes, he'll need some help controlling his powers. It was funny by translator used all female pronouns 😉


	89. Chapter 89 - For My Family

**AN:** I've got a little bit of writers block and things are just kind of chaotic for me right now but I have a job interview on Wednesday, so fingers crossed. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter even if it is a little bit shorter than the others (again writer's block/anxious feelings).

 **Chapter Eighty Nine – For My Family**

Kuu looked at the train tickets that were on his desk as he woke up early that morning. He had to go to work soon but he was excited about the day ahead of him after that. Hopefully things would wrap up early because he was thrilled to spend the afternoon with his son and granddaughter and felt proud that she had requested that he go to the park with them. He hoped Bella was going to open up and make new friends, she was always such a good girl in his eyes.

It was the tickets that gave him pause.

Part of him said that he should be telling Kuon of his plans, that he was intending to take a train ride down to the lake where Kyoko had died and try to see what the problems were and if there was any way that he could help Hiroyuki. Part of him knew that Kuon deserved to know that other people were trying to protect the little boy. The other part of him knew that if Kuon learned about these plans, he'd want to stop it but he wouldn't know how.

Kuon was always so terrified of what had happened there, scared to lose someone else with this great importance to him. Kuu knew that there was something strange about that lake, he had stood there before and he knew it was just the kind of enchanted that would draw Kyoko to it. He just didn't know how.

If this would help his grandson, then he wanted to be able to do it for his family.

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" Julie asked as she put a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"I don't think he'd let me go if he knew I wanted to try," Kuu admitted and then let his fingers go through his hair. "I'm thinking that I might go back to my original color. I feel as if I'm getting too old to maintain the upkeep of dying the roots," he told her and Julie batted him playfully.

"Don't say that, you saying that you're old makes me feel old," Julie smiled before humming. "But," she let her hand sweep through his hair, "I think you're handsome no matter what color of hair you have, I don't think hair color really changes a person but it brings out different parts of their bone structure. Don't tell Kuon that though, I want him to keep his hair his natural color for as long as possible.

Kuu smiled, "How was I lucky enough to have a woman like you."

Julie closed her eyes and released a few calm exhales, "Maybe because you got me pregnant and I knew that I wanted to stay married to you," she sighed, "So, go. I'll cover for you but promise you'll do your best to return to me safely or else I will never ever forgive you."

Kuu smiled and nodded, "I promise you that I'll try my best."

"Well," Julie said as she crouched in front of him and gazed into her eyes, "You're a really great grandfather to prioritize Hiroyuki's needs. I hope that you're able to find some good information out, I know that when you get back, if you are able to give Kuon some information he'll be grateful. We can't be too hard on him, if I ever lost you in a lake, I'd never want to go there either," Julie said before going into the bathroom.

…

…

Kyoko looked over at Kuon as he had Hiro in his arms and Kazuo on his lap as he sat with them on the bed. She wondered how they would grow up together and what kind of powers Hiroyuki would have. She wouldn't treat her sons differently because of their abilities and she wouldn't want them to think badly about one another as well.

Stepping out of the room for a moment, Kyoko took a few steps away from the room and came up to Bella who had been organizing her toys. Although Kyoko really did enjoy going to Disneyland and she couldn't wait to go as a family – they had only been once after Kuon had been able to walk – she knew that her daughter needed time with her dad and her grandfather. She needed time away from the babies to feel special.

"Hi, sweetheart," Kyoko said as she came to crouch down beside her. She frowned, she needed to exercise a bit more because her stomach hadn't seemed to have decreased which was weird after delivering two little boys. "Are you looking forward to spending tomorrow with Daddy and Grandpa?" she asked and Bella nodded.

"Yeah," she grinned, "I like Boss," she said using her father's name for Lory, "but I don't want to be a star or an actor like you and Daddy," she looked down and Kyoko tucked some of Bella's blonde hair behind her ear. "I love princesses and makeup and I would really like to go and have a spa day again but I like….I like soccer."

"I know, princess," Kyoko said and she knelt down beside her, "Tryouts for the local team start again soon, I know that we moved here a little too late for the last ones but maybe you can try out for this one and I have a feeling that they would be very lucky to have someone like you on their side."

"You'll come to my games?" Bella asked Kyoko. She hadn't felt weird with her dad coming to her games when they had been in America and that was because a lot of mothers didn't come, there were of course some who did, but a lot of dads liked taking their daughters to the games. It would feel amazing to have her mother there for her as well.

"I definitely will," Kyoko said with a grin, "I promise…"

"Even if you get muddy?" Bella said as the excitement could be heard in her voice. "Even when you're standing in the rain and there's dirt and heavy wind and you get mud on your clo-"

"It'll all be worth it to know that you're having fun," Kyoko nodded. "So, you want to be a soccer star. Maybe if you teach me then we can practice together," she said and Bella nodded quickly. Even when she had decided that it would be good to have kids with Kuon, Kyoko hadn't predicted that she would have a daughter into athletics and two little boys. Where was the princess she had always wanted to dress up in ballgowns and marry off to a prince? Okay, her life now sounded much better actually.

"And Boss won't want me to be an actor? What if I'm the black sheep in a family of actors?" Bella worried and Kyoko pulled her into a loving embrace.

"Then you'll shine brightly on and off of the pitch," she said before kissing her on the head, "Plus, you might have a new dream in ten years, not saying that you should or that you have to, but you might have a new dream when you're seventeen and your father and I will do all that is in our power to help your dreams come true."

Bella smiled, "well as long as I'm getting it on my own skill," she said and Kyoko lightly tapped her on the middle of her forehead.

"Just like your father to teach you that," she said and Bella tackled her down with another hug.

"I love you, Mom," Bella said honestly and Kyoko wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I love you too, Bella and I'm going to find a surprise for the two of us, but you'll have to be patient," she winked and Bella looked at her curiously. What was Kyoko planning?

…

…

"I'm thinking of taking Bella to a football game," Kyoko said as she climbed into the bed, the boys and Bella were all asleep and she was able to spend time with her amazing husband and the father to their children.

"I think that she'd love that, do you want me to bu-" Kuon started but Kyoko put her hand on his arm.

"I want it to be just the two of us," she said as Kuon nodded, "We both love you but I've been spending so much time with the boys that I think doing something like this with Bella will make her happy, help her keep remembering that we don't love anyone more. I just want it to be the two of us."

"Okay." Kuon smiled at her, "Do you know the first thing about football?"

"Two teams. You run down the field, pass the ball to your teammates whilst others attempt to intercept and then you shoot and hope it goes in the goal," Kyoko said and Kuon laughed.

"Well, basically," he shrugged before looking at her, "There's a little more to it but just the fact that you're going out of your comfort zone, Bella will recognize that. I've been thinking of already signing her up for the tryouts in January. I think for Bella she does best when she's playing and she makes friends with her teammates," Kuon thought aloud and Kyoko leaned out and kissed his lips very gently.

"I'm also thinking that Bella and I should go and get a mud bath," Kyoko smiled and Kuon nodded as he looked at her with a smile. Kyoko kissed his cheek. "I don't mind getting covered in dirt and mud and going out into the wind and the rain and th—"

"Are you sure that you're not going to break your ankle again, turtle girl?" he teased her and Kyoko softly smiled as she thought about all of those memories, all of those very important moments in their lives where they had come to know one another.

"Well, tell me, Kuon," Kyoko hummed with a teasing smile on her face, "If you know so much about football or as you Americans call it, soccer, then let me ask you a question. Is football a game or a dance?"

Kuon smiled, closing his eyes and laughing when she said that. He reached out for her hand, "I'm so lucky to have met you and yes, taking Bella to a game would be a really great idea." He laughed again, "I am very very lucky that you're my wife."

Kyoko smiled, "I would never want to be anyone else's."

 **End of Chapter Eighty Nine**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Eighty Eight**

Kris XD: Thanks, I think so too but no, Lory is just really obsessed with video games

PaulaGaTo: Well not Lory but someone not too different from Lory 😊


	90. Chapter 90 - Secrets and Theme Parks

**AN:** Thank you for your patience with the update of this chapter. I don't think I got the job I interviewed for but it was nice to get interview experience since I haven't interviewed for two years. I've also written 54 thankyou/goodbye cards for all my coworkers which brought on all kinds of emotions. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and I'm impressed that it's only ten chapters from Chapter 100. What will happen? I hope you enjoy

 **Chapter Ninety – Secrets and Theme Parks**

Kuu and Kuon looked at each other as they entered the theme park. Maybe this wasn't such an amazing idea to come the three of them together but it was what Bella had wanted. Kuon just hoped that the trip would turn out to be a good experience for his daughter. "So," he grinned to her, "Is there something that you want to ride on first? Any characters that you want to go see, Bella?" he asked and Bella hummed as she looked around.

"Grandpa can ride the rides, can't he?" Bella asked her father and Kuon looked at Kuu confused.

"Sure, did you want Grandpa to ride instead of me?" Kuon asked and then Bella shook her head. Kuon paused before remembering that the last time he had gone to a theme park with Bella and they had been accompanied by his parents, his father had pulled a muscle in his leg and hadn't wanted to ride any of the attractions. Maybe that's what Bella was referring to.

"No, I just wanted to know if he could," Bella smiled and Kuu grinned happily.

"I can ride whatever you want to, Bella," he said with a thumbs up and Bella rolled her eyes before they caught onto something orange. She grabbed to Kuon's hand and started to tug him.

"Bella?" Kuon asked before seeing the fox character that he had voiced walking alongside Tinkerbell.

"It's Kitsu!" Bella said and Kuon nodded as he pointed out the character to Kuu. Kuu smiled as he watched his son with his daughter. He had managed to not say anything but seeing Kuon move around with such ease and being able to talk properly really made him feel relief as well as strange. This situation, it didn't feel real to him but he so desperately wanted it to be so.

He followed his granddaughter and son to where the photos were being taken with the characters.

As they lined up, Tinkerbell patted Kitsu on the shoulder and pointed to Kuon and Kitsu clapped his gloved hands and danced around happily. Kuon had done both the original English recording and the character voice in Russian and Japanese as well. Everyone in Japan had come to love the part because they loved the voice of Ren Tsuruga.

Some of the people in line turned to look at Kuon and he looked at them weakly, "Sorry," he apologized as Bella held his hand and watched him with such curiosity, "Sorry, I'm just here with my daughter today, I'm not here for the fans today, sorry," he apologized and Bella smiled.

"Daddy's shy," she said as Kuon laughed, "He's good friends with Kitsu."

"Well, I am good friends with Kitsu," he said before putting on his Kitsu voice, "How are you buddy?" he asked as some of the little kids gasped at how close it was.

Kitsu bounced about again, clapping his gloved hands.

"Can I get a photo with the two of you?" a woman asked as she looked between Kuon and Kitsu. Kuon smiled softly and looked down at Bella, she nodded before he could say anything and pushed him forward. A few people took pictures with them until it was Kuon's turn in line.

"Can Tinkerbell be in the picture too?" he asked as he stood back and because of the way that Kuon had helped him, Kitsu and Tinkerbell did some special shots with Bella. After three photographs by the photographer, Bella pulled Kuon in too and had more pictures taken with her daddy.

After they had finished having the photos taken and Bella had them sign her signature book, they turned to leave. "Thank you," Kuon said with a respectful bow before they waved him goodbye and Kuu caught up with them.

"That must have made some of the adults happy," Kuu said and Kuon paused and lifted Bella up, hugging her close before offering his back for a piggyback ride, Bella climbed on.

"Well, I thought that it might help me with the fans. I want to do my best not to let them down, Dad," Kuon replied.

"I know, you're someone who cares about others, just as your mother and I raised you," Kuu said in a loving-parent manner.

"Well, even though I do, this afternoon is about Bella," Kuon grinned back at her, "So what is it you'd like to ride, princess?" he asked and Bella hummed.

"The teacups," she giggled and Kuon nodded. "Is Grandpa going to come too."

"You know what," Kuu grinned, "Nothing would make me happier right now than spinning around and around in a teacup with my amazing son and my wonderful granddaughter." He said causing both Kuon and Bella to smile as they headed in the direction towards the ride.

…..

…..

Julie smiled as she managed to change Hiroyuki's diaper for him, she pulled the little boy to her chest and swayed her body as she held him close. "Hi, my love," she said as Kyoko was taking care of Kazuo. Julie went and sat down her youngest grandchild and kissed his forehead. "You're nearly a week old," she told him gently. "I'm sure your mommy and daddy and your siblings are going to love playing with you," she said before looking up at Kyoko.

"Are there any health risks?" she asked concerned and Kyoko shook her head.

"The doctors want to take him in for long term examination but I told them that I could agree to checkups for him but I'm not letting them use him as an experiment," she said and Julie nodded.

"I'm not going to let them either and neither is Kuu. How is Kuon taking it?" she asked and Kyoko took Kazuo over to the window in their nursery so she could look outside.

"We're thinking of moving to a bigger house," Kyoko said and Julie stared at her. "Well, the house we had in America sold so Kuon wants to have a house with more room to move around. I think he wants more rooms and a bigger nursery," Kyoko told her mother in law and Julie smiled politely.

"That would be nice for the five of you. How is Kuon taking to having a baby with ice powers?" she asked and Kyoko smiled softly, "Are they all out of your sys-"

"No, they're not," Kyoko admitted, "but they are much more controllable," she waved her hand in the air and made an ice sculpture of the rose from Beauty and the Beast appear. "I think I'll always have at least a little magic but that is going to help me teach Hiro to overcome his own power," Kyoko turned her attention to the bundle in her arms. "Kuon still is questioning whether or not to get a paternity test."

Julie frowned, "Why would he need to do that?" she asked, "Yes, Hiroyuki has magic within him but he's still got Kuon's physical traits, mixed with yours. No, Hiroyuki is very very much _his_ child." She grinned down at her grandson. "Kyoko, I do understand the answer to this question but I still feel as if I need to ask you, why didn't you tell Kuu and I about your powers. We would have wanted to help, we still want to help."

Kyoko looked down, "I wanted to tell you," she admitted, "and nothing against Kuon but I think that he just wanted to protect me. I'm sure that hiding the truth from you was hurting him inside but he wanted me to be protected." She smiled weakly, "It was both our decision not to share it."

Julie looked at her, she knew that it was mainly her son who was being overly cautious and part of her wanted to be mad at him but mostly she understood. Kyoko had died when he couldn't be there. He wasn't able to keep her safe before and he had been torn apart by her death. "So, are you thinking of going back into acting?" she asked as she tried to change the subject.

Kyoko smiled, "I want to spend some time with the boys first, I feel so guilty about missing so much of Bella's childhood and I don't want to go through that again. I think that maybe after a year or two I'll return to acting. That'll also give me some time to lose the baby weight."

Julie laughed softly, "I could give you some tips," she said and Kyoko shook her head.

"I know that you didn't show much, yourself, and Kuon was a smaller baby who just grew up into a really extremely tall person who we now have to have a special bed for," Kyoko laughed. "No, I love his height. I wish it was easier to kiss him spontaneously but his height makes me feel very protected. I wonder if our children will have that," she pondered and Julie laughed.

"Yes, he is very tall," she nodded, "I'm surprised he doesn't go around hitting his head on things especially in Japan."

"Oh, he does," Kyoko nodded, "He just tries to make sure that nobody sees. It's pretty funny when he does that, well when he gets flustered afterwards I should say. I'm very lucky that he's my husband," she commented and Julie nodded.

"I'm very lucky that he's my son," she shared another smile with Kyoko before they both turned their attention to the babies once again.

…

…

After going to the lake the next day, Kuu had been stunned by what he had found. If he hadn't seen the consequences of it reflected in Hiroyuki and the explanation that Kyoko had given him of her own ice powers, he would never have dreamed it was real. Today he had met a boy and a girl or at least he hoped that he could call them that who had been able to show him a world more than he had expected.

He had never thought that fairies were real but he would be meeting them again that night, the things that he had learned however might need more explanation. There was one person he wanted to call though, the person who might need to know this the most. He called his daughter.

Kyoko picked up after the third ring, "Father," she said and Kuu drew a deep breath in.

"I need to tell you something about the way you died," he told her and Kyoko took a deep breath in. She clutched to her phone, wrapping her fingers around it.

"Father? What…what's going on?" she asked desperately wanting an explanation.

Kuu sighed before smiling, "Kyoko," he told her with a softness in his voice, "I'm down at the lake. I wanted to come here for Hiroyuki and I knew that Kuon would never be comfortable with letting you down here so I came down instead. I think we're all wrong about….everything,"

Kyoko froze, "What do you mean by that, Father?" she asked nervously.

Kuu took another breath before laughing softly, "Fairies…" he said slowly, "are real."

 **End of Chapter Ninety**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **I will be going back in time next chapter to show Kuu approaching the lake and what he found.** **I hope that will be updated tomorrow.**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Eighty Nine:**

Kris XD: Glad that you liked it 😊

Loyalty counts: 😊 yay, hope you liked this chapter too

PaulaGaTo: You'll have to wait for next chapter to truly find out 😊


	91. Chapter 91 - Fairy Magic

**AN:** Thank you so much for your patience. The latest chapter in the manga hurt my heart. I do understand Ren's reasonings and I'm not angry at him but it's just that I'm upset by the poorly drawn out monthly updates – sigh -. Hope that you enjoy this chapter. Also, I've started a weird but new fic all done in first person: My Sensei and would really appreciate you taking a look if interested 😊

 **Chapter Ninety One – Fairy Magic**

"I'm sorry, sir," a young man said as Kuu approached the trail which led to the lake itself, "have you checked with the owner of the area otherwise it's -"

Kuu looked at the officer who had grabbed his arm and sighed, putting one hand atop of the other man. "I'm surprised that you don't know who I am," he smiled in a charismatic way. The man nodded immediately, taking a step back.

"I know who you are, Hizuri Kuu, the legendary actor," he said and Kuu nodded his head. "However, just because you are a celebrity, I can't let you just go ahead and do anything that you want to do. There have to be some rules about this and I'm sure that you can understand that."

"And I'm sure that you can understand that if the owner wants to persecute me then I'll let him do so. I know who owns this property," Kuu said and the officer took a step back, "I can promise you one thing about them and that is, if going to this lake lands me in jail then I've greatly misjudged him." Kuu smiled. Despite Kuon's fears over how this area was haunted, Kuu knew that Kuon wouldn't imprison him for trespassing. Hell, even if he stole his son's car for a past midlife breakdown, his son would be more concerned for him than worried about any car.

The officer took a few steps back and Kuu continued down the trail. There was a lot of nature here, hopefully there wasn't anything wild around but he knew martial arts and self-defense and he knew he would be able to survive. He was doing this for his grandson and his daughter in law. He would have to keep going.

Kuu tried to keep his awareness as he walked down the trail. He could understand how a young woman would have gone down here and even more so Kyoko. It really felt to him as if he were falling into the rabbit hole that Alice had gone down. Everything seemed normal for the most part but the parts that didn't feel normal were what grabbed his interest.

Finally he could see the water and he crouched down beside it, "So, tell me," he said as he put a hand to the top of the water and saw it glow. This really did seem like an enchanted lake and he had to keep his breaths slow and even. If there was reason to panic then he had to get out of the way and leave the lake alone. He would have to monitor what was going on and regulate his body.

He closed his eyes again before hearing a whisper from the bushes, wasn't this a restricted area?

"He doesn't seem mad," a young girl said, "he doesn't seem like he wants to hurt us," she continued and then a second voice could be heard.

"You don't know anything about those creatures," an older but still child-age male voice could be heard. "Lissetta, you're going to be in trouble," he said, "I don't want you to lose your wings. If he tells our story to ot—"

"Is someone there?" Kuu asked as he saw a bright blue light coming from a flowerbed beside the lake. "I'm sorry, I'm not going to hurt you. Are you able to come out?" Kuu took another few breaths in and out and stepped away from the lake's edge. He was glad at this moment that Kuon had so stubbornly driven Kyoko from the area.

"See, Peter," the young girl spoke again, "He sounds friendly, he said he wasn't going to hurt us so let's go see him."

"You went to see that human before too," Peter said, "And you pulled her when you were trying to take back your orb, it's unwise for us to…"

"You pulled a woman in?" Kuu asked and then saw the face of a child seem to blossom out of the flower bed. Okay, he had to calm himself. This was real. Fairies were real and his grandson had ice powers that he didn't know how to control. He had to do this for his grandson.

"I didn't mean to," the little girl said as she flew over to him and Kuu closed his eyes. He had gone through weird things on set whilst managing to not break character. He wasn't going to break character here either. He had to control himself, these little children didn't mean him any harm and so he shouldn't make them feel as if he intended them harm.

"I'm sure that you didn't," Kuu said and looked at her, "You're really quite beautiful," he said as Peter appeared and he smiled at him, nodding his head to him and then turning back to Lissetta. " I'm a father and a grandfather and I care about my family with all of my heart. I know that none of them would ever hold ill will towards you. My grandson was cursed by this lake," he said and the two fairies flinched at that.

Lissetta began to cry and Kuu wondered if he had said the wrong thing to her. Were they blaming themselves? That wasn't what he had meant to say to them.

"I have a little grandson," Kuu said as he took out his phone and pulled up a picture of his twins. Lissetta looked at it curiously and then Kuu went to a picture of Kyoko, "Is this the woman who you pulled into the lake?" he asked her and Lissetta nodded sadly before looking at the picture with even more curiosity.

"She is doing okay?" she asked and Kuu nodded, "She's smiling."

"She's doing well, she just gave birth to my grandsons," Kuu started to explain as Peter came out to take a look at the phone. "I know that you didn't mean to pull her into the lake, it was probably an accident, right?"

Lissetta nodded sadly, "I was talking to her about my collection, the magic pearls and I let her hold them. She really loves fairies and fairy history. It was her kindness and acceptance to the fairy world that led her here but the lake, it has powers and those stop the human and suffocate them. I think you'd call them leeches."

"Leeches?" Kuu asked, "Is my daughter in law safe?"

"She is but she's been hurt by them," Peter said and Kuu nodded, "They are not going away. Any baby that she gives birth to is going to have them. She can only live if she is with someone who loves her, only someone who accepts her." Peter had his arms folded and a pout on his face. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this meeting with us, human," he said and Kuu nodded.

"Well, you can tell your family since you've been cursed," Lissetta nodded, "but not the world," she turned to her brother, "I think that the knowledge will help them." Lissetta turned back to Kuu, "there is only one thing that can control the powers, they can be controlled through good emotion, the type of love that is unusual between men and women of your species."

Kuu smiled happily, "I have faith that the love Kyoko receives is enough. My son is a very good man."

"Then he can keep them away," Peter said firmly. "I don't want to be hunted. I don't want them to drain our home," he argued and Kuu shook his head.

"Never, I'll never tell them anything, only my wife and children," he said and Peter nodded in agreement.

Kuu sighed, feeling as if he were intruding on the two children if he just came for what he wanted to and left. He didn't want to be seen as someone who would take advantage of them. "So," he smiled as he looked at the lake, "Did you want to talk about anything? Did you want to ask me anything? I'm sure you don't get human visitors here a lot and since we've already started talking then -"

He was cut off by Lissetta talking rapidly about her life with the same kind of enthusiasm that a younger Kuon or Kyoko would have. He listened to her speak with Peter making the occasional comment. Then it was time for the two of them to rest and he finally had a chance to speak to his daughter in law. This was so much for him to process but she might be able to make sense of it.

…..

…..

Kyoko held the phone to her ear, trying to think back on the last words that her kind and loving father had said to her. Fairies were real? She closed her eyes but all she could see was blue light and very cold water. Were those fairies? She laughed softly into the phone, "Does that mean that Hiroyuki is a fairy?" she asked and Kuu sighed.

"From what I've gathered, the fairies are different than us but it turns out that you were given magic powers from being near the fairies precious lake," Kuu told her, "the fairies want to protect their lake because without it they might see their world collapse."

"Of course," Kyoko nodded as she sat down, she was feeling so excited about all of this. "I don't want to hurt their land, did they say anything about Hiroyuki in particular?"

"They said it was very unnatural for only one baby of twins to have powers so they advised me to keep an eye on Kazuo. If his is a dark power then we might need to bring him to the lake to be restored," Kuu said in a serious manner. "However, the main thing that they told me was that you have to have someone who loves you."

"We both know there's a husband and farther out there with so much love in his heart," Kyoko laughed. She was still trying to wrap her head around the situation. Fairies were real. After so much time believing in the power of fairies, she had been right and they had existed. She wanted to go dancing but the news was so unbelievable.

"I asked if this could be shared with Kuon and Julie and the fairies say as long as they keep it secret then it will be," Kuu said and Kyoko sighed in relief. "They gave me a list of documents that have been written by fairies living in the real world so I'll get those for you."

Kyoko smiled, she closed her eyes in relief. She wouldn't have to rely on Yuki this way and she could discover more about herself and her children without hurting Kuon. "I think we should tell Kuon when you get back," Kyoko said, "just because if he doesn't see you he'll panic."

"I agree and tell him that my grandsons are both his kids and that you were given the gift of ice magic which you then passed onto the babies. I don't want to hear anything about a paternity test," Kuu said. Kyoko smiled before seeing a man in front of her. He looked as if he had been told that a secret gang meeting was going to be held to kill Kyoko.

"Kuon?" Kyoko asked alarmed and saw Kuon drop to the ground, she saw the sweat drenching his body. Where on earth had he been? What had happened to him?

"Thank god," he whispered as he started to feel faint and Kyoko whispered a quick goodbye to Kuu before looking at her husband. "Thank god you're not down there," he said and Kyoko blinked confused.

"Sweetheart, what is it? What happened?" Kyoko asked and Kuon laughed softly.

"I got a call that there had been someone going down to that stupid dumb lake and I was scared that it was you," Kuon admitted and Kyoko smiled.

"No," Kyoko told him as she wrapped her arms around him. Maybe it was best to keep it quiet for right now, "No, my sweet Corn, it wasn't me."

 **End of Chapter Ninety One**

 **Thank you for reading**

 **Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter Ninety**

Erza: It was a reference and I meant that Kuu was at the bank of the lake, maybe his hand or foot in it. I think this is my longest fic since I was 14 (harry potter) as well. I had a 100 chapter Fruits Basket one at one point but it was only 90k in words

Kris XD: He's a little stunned by all of the magic around him

Ktoll9: Yep 😊 and there's a lot of truth to tell

PaulaGaTo: Hope you enjoyed this chapter 😊


	92. Chapter 92 - Little Boys Need Their Dad

**AN:** Hope you enjoy, this is another one of those feeling chapters with less action but I'm glad to be moving on from the manga and able to update this more frequently 😊

 **Chapter Ninety Two – Little Boys Need Their Dad**

Kyoko saw how frantic Kuon was. Even during the times when he had suffered the most in his twenties, he had never looked this panicked and she hated seeing him like this. After all that he had gone through and all the sacrifices that he had made especially in bringing up Isabella, she had wanted more for him. However, that didn't stop the question that had now entered her mind. If Kuon wasn't psychic then how did he know that _anyone_ had approached that lake. Was he spying on people who went there?

Kyoko paused, trying to figure it out before the answer dawned on her. She stared at him confused, "Are you the private owner, Kuon?" she asked and Kuon stared at her. He hadn't wanted to tell her that but he had become so concerned that she had gone there without telling him that as soon as he got a call that there was somebody who had trespassed, he had wondered whether it was her.

"I…" he said slowly before bowing his head, "I didn't want anyone else to get hurt."

Kyoko moved so that she was on the floor in front of him. She reached out and placed a loving hand upon his cheek but the questions continuously flooded her mind. She bit her top lip so that she wouldn't start hurling accusations of him not trusting her at him. Maybe she could address that part of all of this later but Kuon wasn't in any position to argue with a clear mind.

"How would the lake hurt anyone?" she asked and Kuon closed his eyes.

"I believe that it's cursed, it's not….it's not normal," he told her and then looked away. "I know that doesn't make sense. It isn't rational or logical…of course it's just a lake, it could never hurt anybody, my doctors have told me all of that."

Kyoko felt her breath in her lungs, she didn't know whether to tell him that he was actually right and that there was magic there. He might always see that lake as a bad place and maybe he wouldn't listen to how good and kind the fairy folk actually were. Was that _her_ not having enough faith and trust in _him?_

"Kuon, sometimes things in life aren't logical. I mean, me being here in front of you, do you think that's logical? My age not changing for six years, is _that_ logical?" she asked and Kuon brought a hand to his forehead. Finally he was able to slow his breaths and start to gain composure. He was starting to calm down and Kyoko watched him. She didn't really know the best way, amongst the many options she had already come up with, to help him. Was telling him that the lake was good going to help? Was telling him that -

"Do you think Hiro is my son?" Kuon asked as he looked at her and Kyoko frowned.

Why did he even feel that this particular question needed to be asked? Did he think that she would go sleep around with other men? Was that why he was saying that or…

"Do you believe Kazuo is your son?" she asked and Kuon nodded, "Then Hiro is as well. They are twins, Kuon, and it's hurtful for you to ask that. It's as if you don't accept him as your child and that's painful to me."

Kuon looked up at her and then closed his eyes. "I guess it is pretty painful," he said before looking at his hands, "but Yuki's got magic that I don't possess. I'm a mortal, I don't have any ice powers or magic. I mean, maybe I thought that him having people who know about that might help him. I…"

"I suppose the question is, do you want him? Do you love him? Because I promise," Kyoko directed her hand to the floor and created a small patch of ice, she saw Kuon staring at it, "he is your son and sweetheart, I never thought that you relied on magic."

"I just feel that I would be a better father to him if I was able to control that magic," Kuon admitted as he ran a hand through his hair and Kyoko laughed whilst rolling her eyes.

"Do you love him? Do you want him here? Do you want to be his father?" she repeated her questions and Kuon stared at her.

"Of course, I do. I want him to be my son…but, it must feel the same to you, seeing your child like that without knowing how to help him. I don't know how to help him," Kuon admitted as he closed his eyes, the pain showing on his face. "Apart from dealing with the loss of Rick and definitely the loss of you, I've known how to solve every problem that I come across apart from how to help him."

"That's because it takes less what you know in your head and more what you know in your heart," Kyoko attempted to remind him. "Kuon, don't doubt in yourself about this. All you need to do is be his father just as your Isabella's father. There will be challenges in his life but I know you," Kyoko held his hand in hers, "I know you want to solve everything right now but when those challenges arise you'll know exactly what to do because that's who you are. You're a wonderful husband and you're a father who will do his best for his children. I trust that you'll be the father that he needs, the father all three of our amazing children need."

Kuon sighed and took a few deep breaths, "How did I ever raise Isabella without you?" he asked before laughing. He probably should have felt more confidence in himself, that was just one thing that had been completely shattered when Kyoko had passed away.

"Because that's the type of father you are, you step up and do the best thing for your family, always," she reminded him and Kuon reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you," he whispered as the fear melted just like the patch of ice on the floor.

…..

…..

When Kuu had finally returned, Kyoko could see the relief in Kuon's face first of all that his dad had returned safely but it was when he had started talking about magic and the fairy world that Kuon had shifted and was looking uncomfortable. He had always been happy to support her in her powers or at least that was what she thought. When Kuu talked about how all Hiroyuki needed was the love of his parents, Kyoko had seen Kuon get more uncomfortable. She wasn't going to take it as an indication that Kuon didn't love his youngest child, that wasn't him. Was it that same feeling of not being good enough to raise him.

Kuu was going on about how because Kyoko's body had magic within it now, that both of the little boys must have some power and that it could be that Kazuo had a curse instead of a gift, Kuon excused himself from the room. Kyoko looked after him. Wasn't he ever going to understand that he was good enough for them and that he didn't need to worry about all of this?

She stood to follow him but Julie looked at her, standing as well.

"May I be the one to talk to him?" Julie asked and Kyoko looked a little nervous about that, she knew that sometimes she was the sole person who could listen to Kuon and show him the other side of his fears but she didn't want to be rude to her mother-in-law. She nodded slowly and saw Julie leave the room.

"Father," Kyoko said as she dropped down into her seat again, "These books or texts. How easy are they to find?" she asked and Kuu smiled.

"They already gave me the locations," Kuu told her as he took out a list and Kyoko scanned it. She nodded after finishing reading it. "I know that you must want to start rea-"

"Kuon," Kyoko said as she put a hand over her heart, "Father, I believe in what you're saying. I've believed that fairies have existed for a very long time. I have had my heart opened by fairytales which involve magic spells and fairy godmothers. Even though other people have called these childish thoughts, I've believed in them and Kuon has accepted my belief in them but he hasn't shared my belief. I think that for him, the study of something gives him more acceptance over it. I think that the texts are going to help him more than they help me," she admitted with a smile and Kuu nodded.

"Do you think that he's going to be okay?" Kuu asked and Kyoko smiled, "My son tends to internalize his pain. I mean, even my view of the world seems warped and -"

"I don't think Kuon cares so much about how he views the world," Kyoko admitted with such honesty in her expression. "Father, you and Kuon are very much alike which I believe is a good thing. He wouldn't really care about his perception of the world but what he is worried about is being a good father to our children. I think he's scared that he might do something to hurt Hiroyuki and maybe even Kazuo. With more knowledge about this, he'll be able to know that he's not hurting our children. I believe in him more than he believes in himself," she admitted and Kuu nodded.

He had to admit that all of that did sound true.

…..

…..

"Hi, darling," Julie said as she approached her son who had her very pale grandson in his arms. She watched him as he gazed upon Hiro with so much love in his eyes. He pulled the baby to his chest despite the fact that Hiro had a cold temperature. Kuon instinctively pulled his blanket around him.

Julie stepped forwards and put a hand on his shoulder as his smile grew. "How are you doing?"

"Do you think that I can really help him, Mom?" Kuon asked as he kept his eyes on his younger son. He shifted Hiroyuki in his arms so that he could slowly rock him back and forth in his arms, really showing his love for him. "I don't want him to get hurt but with the world in the dismal state that it's in," Kuon said bitterly and Julie nodded, her hand moving down onto his back.

"I know that you don't trust in the world, maybe we should have given you a better childhood," she said before shaking her head as Kuon opened his mouth to protest. "I know that you didn't have the best childhood," she said but rubbed his arm attempting to keep him calm. "That might be why you think you won't be able to help keep him from that pain but listen to me," she said softly, "you love this little boy and that's all you need to do."

"Mom," Kuon said as he turned to her and Julie grinned as Hiroyuki gazed up at her in his adorable manner. "He has a gift that I don't know if many people have. He'll be alone."

"With you as his father, he'll never be alone," Julie tried to tell him. "Kuon, if you had a child that was born blind, what would you do to help them?"

"Learn braille so I could teach them. Try to change the layout of the house as they got older so that they could move freely. Try and encourage them in whatever they want to do," he shrugged as Hiro yawned peacefully in his daddy's arms.

"Then do the same thing for him, make sure his home is a happy one with two parents who love him unconditionally and only want the best for him," Julie saw Kuon smile as he kissed the top of Hiro's head. She knew this family was going to be okay no matter how far the world was going to test them.

 **End of Chapter Ninety Two**

 **Thank you for reading**


	93. Chapter 93 - I'm Sorry

**AN:** Believe it or not, I actually came up with an end to this fic and it'll happen soon 😊 Hope you guys stick with me until the end, I am so grateful for all of you. After writing this chapter, I think the next one will be the last. I really hope you enjoy this one though 😊

 **Chapter Ninety Three – I'm Sorry**

Kyoko held Kazuo in her arms whilst Hiroyuki was being pushed along. She had just heard the little brunette start crying and she needed to comfort him as a good mother was. She wanted to much to be a good mother. She pressed a gentle kiss on Kazuo's forehead and then held him close to her body. "Don't worry, Daddy will be here soon," she told him as she waited for Kuon.

Isabella was looking at Hiroyuki with a grin over her face, she wanted to make him smile. The five of them were supposed to be spending the day together but Kuon hadn't come here yet. Ren had always been the king of punctuality. Kyoko didn't understand why he wouldn't have come.

"So," she heard Kuon's voice and turned, her eyes lighting up as she gazed at him with a smile, the look on his face wasn't a good one and it sent chills down his body. "I decided that I'm too good for you," he said with a cold grin over his face.

Kyoko froze, these weren't the words that she was expecting to ever hear from him.

"I'm leaving you," he said as he threw his wedding ring on the ground before him. "I can't believe that I spent so much time thinking about you, I wasted all that time and I'm never going to get it back. You owe me that time back," he told her with a glare.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Kyoko asked as she looked at him confused. Was she supposed to turn the blocks back? Somehow prevent herself from being pulled into the lake?

"Figure it out because I'm done with you. You and those brats are only a drain on my life," Kuon said before turning away completely and walking out on her. Kyoko could hear the babies crying and turned her attention to them. When she turned back to look at Kuon, he was gone.

…..

…..

"Kuon?" Kyoko said as she sat up in the bed, her body shaking and sweat covering her. She could hear both of their children crying and looked to the side of her. Kuon wasn't there. Maybe he had heard the crying and tried to be a good father and gone to see them. She stood and turned the light on before seeing that on Kuon's pillow was a letter.

She would read it later, she had to get to the boys. As she started to wake up, Kyoko felt a chill throughout the house as if something was missing. She couldn't put her finger on it. It was strange, all of this felt so strange to her. She went to the nursery and gently picked Hiro up whilst stroking Kazuo's head to calm him down.

Kuon wasn't in here.

She frowned before looking at the clock on the wall. It was two in the morning. There was no way that he could have a work assignment at this time. Maybe two hours later but never earlier than that. Sometimes he would have to have gone overnight for a shoot but he had been there the previous night.

She sighed and gently rocked her two boys until their eyes started to slide shut. "Kuon," she whispered. Maybe he had gone downstairs. Sometimes if he couldn't sleep, he would go downstairs and read with a dim light so as not to wake her up. He always was considerate like that.

Kyoko made sure the two babies had gone back to sleep before she turned to the bedroom. Her mind started to race as she thought about that note on his pillow. She felt her breath catch in her throat. No. Please don't be a suicide note. She couldn't handle that. They were just starting to make everything work out. They had learned how she had been…preserved, where the powers were coming from, they had gotten over his head injury and they were going to get remarried.

All of those good things had happened, he wouldn't just decide to die right now, would he? Was he that psychologically twisted? She shook her head, no she didn't want to use those words for him but she didn't know what words she _could_ use.

As she grabbed the note and held it up, her hand shook.

 _I'm sorry. This family deserves so much better than what I can give you. I'm so sorry. I love you all but I don't deserve this. Everyone I love gets hurt so I need to stop it. – Kuon_

Kyoko grabbed to her cell phone and tried to call him but it went to his answering machine. She froze before remembering that he could track his phone using his computer. She grabbed his laptop and went into it, using the password that he had shared with her for his user. Once inside his user, she clicked on the button to find his phone and stopped confused.

Why would he be at the airport?

Kyoko grabbed his laptop, shoved it in a bag and then called Kuu. She had to stop him. She had to find him before he boarded a plane. She just needed someone to take care of their children. She bowed her head, hoping that she wouldn't be too late.

…..

…..

Kuon sat with a heavy coat around his shoulders as he sat on the bank of the lake. He didn't feel comfortable here, he didn't want to lose his trust and faith in nature but being here only reminded him of how much he had lost. If he had never lost Kyoko then he would have lived a happy six years with her whilst they brought up Isabella. The boys might have been born earlier and neither one of them would have ice powers.

He felt like a failure.

As much as his parents and Kyoko tried to tell him that the powers that Hiroyuki had were special and were a gift that he should be proud of, Kuon knew first hand how cruel the world was. It was this lake that had started it all. It had been him pushing Kyoko to take that role which had caused for all of this to happen.

He would never be able to get the images of her funeral out of his head or really memorial service since there hadn't even been a body to bury. He knew at that time why he wasn't allowed to have important people. Because of his own curse they always ended up getting hurt and he didn't want that to be the case any longer.

Nobody would find him here. They would be too busy looking elsewhere for him, if they looked for him at all. He was always seen by the world as being so different than he actually was. He could think here, he could breathe here. It was okay.

He closed his eyes and felt the wind blow across him. Maybe if he jumped into that lake then everything would be okay. Maybe if he died then….no, he wouldn't be able to do that to Kyoko or their children. As much as he wanted to protect them, his death might not accomplish their eventual happiness.

He sighed, feeling the pain in his chest again.

…

…

 _Kuon nervously stood in front of everyone else and made his way to the front. If he never delivered this eulogy then she might never forgive him and he would never be able to forgive himself. He looked down, his hands shaking against his paper and he closed his eyes._

" _I can't replicate Kyoko's magic. I don't think anybody would ever be able to have that beautiful magic that she ha—has," his eyes drew towards the picture of his wife. "She wa-is always smiling so happily. She always put her guts and her strength into her work and she's passionate. She gave me two of the most important gifts that I have ever received in my life. First, she gave birth to our wonderful daughter who I hope carries her mother's spirit and her optimism, her imagination, with her for all of her life and second, she agreed to become my wife._

 _I've always felt a little bit like an outsider, those who know my past know that it wasn't always good. Those who know Kyoko's past would say the same thig but somehow that made us connect with one another. Neither of us wanted to fail. Neither of us wanted to be alone._

 _When Kyoko and I were first seen as a couple in the media, a lot of people kept talking about how incredibly lucky she was to be dating Tsuruga Ren," he sighed, feeling the tears in his eyes. "I would always laugh in disbelief. She wasn't the one who was lucky in the relationship, it was me. Somehow nobody even saw how beautiful she is, how passionate, how kind and giving, how talented, and how humble. I always felt like the luckiest man because she loved—loves me."_

 _Kuon cleared his throat again. "Kyoko never looked down upon other people, not really. She felt so much joy in the people surrounding her and each one of us was left with a little bit of her magic. Whether we treasured her as a friend, a coworker, a child," he looked at his parents, "a mother, or my wonderfully amazing wife, she made each connection so special."_

" _I want to live my life honoring her. I don't want to think about anything other than the stunning woman she wa—is. Her memory is what is most important now and I want to make sure that memory is remembered each and every day. Kyoko started off calling me a prince from fairyland, she then had numerous names for me and then when she realized she loved me, she made that prince a little bit more human. Still, as much as Kyoko would tell me I was her prince, she was always my princess. She will always be my princess."_

" _I don't know if I believe in an afterlife but if there is one, I want her to be happy in it and I hope that it's not too much to ask for me to one day join her in her magical world because that's what Kyoko had in her heart. The most powerful form of magic. I will never stop loving you, my wonderful princess, my Kyoko."_

…

…

"Hi," Kyoko said softly as she stood behind him and he turned to look at her, not knowing that he had tears in his eyes or that he was quite a few shades paler. She dropped down, not expecting that and wrapped her arms around him as he broke down. Was it the lake that was doing this to him?

She pulled him closer and held his head close to her chest, rubbing his back. She hated seeing him so upset but he had been carrying his pain for so long, unable to come to terms with what had really happened. Now that he knew, all of those feelings must have come rushing back.

"Sweetheart," she whispered as she kissed the back of his neck, "what is it? What's wrong?" she attempted to comfort him and Kuon closed his eyes.

"I let you down," he told her and Kyoko looked at him. "I promised that I'd always keep you safe. On our wedding day, I promised that I would always keep you safe and take care of you and I let you down. I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to save you," he said and Kyoko knew that all of this pain was only here because of the way that he loved her.

"Never," she tried to tell him, "You have never let me down and you never will let me down. You're my prince, you're all I've ever wanted my entire life. With all the fairytales I've read, with all the wishes that I've made. You're the prince that I want to have my forever and ever after with. You're the person who matters most to me in this whole world. You could never let me down."

"And the boys?" Kuon asked and Kyoko smiled before taking out a very familiar stone. She looked at it before holding it out in front of him.

"You will never let any of us down because that's not who you are. I know you didn't allow all of your pain and grief out because you didn't believe I was dead and you were trying to shield Isabella," she looked at the stone and turned it in the light. "This is your magic, Kuon. It's a magic that only you can create and it's a magic that made a little girl believe, helped her survive."

"That's the only magic that matters to me," she said before stepping up and holding her hand out for him. "I want your magic to shine and I know that if I offer your magic, share your magic, then everything will be okay," she told him before kissing Corn and throwing the important stone into the middle of the lake, squeezing tightly to Kuon's hand.

The two of them had never expected a strong light to appear from the lake. A light that was the color of Corn. The color of Kuon's magic and of all the magic they had shared together.

As the fairies had said, their magic was really the true magic, the only type of magic that would last forever.

 **End of Chapter Ninety Three**

 **Thank you for reading and I really hope that I didn't write Kuon's eulogy before, I always intended it to be in the last chapters.**

 **Thank you for the Chapter Ninety Two Review**

KrisXD: Yeah, I think he needed that too, the family really does love each other


	94. Chapter 94 - Ten Years Later

**AN:** I'm not going to lie to you guys, this chapter actually made me cry. I'm debating over a number of fics I could either start or continue and write those daily but until I make up my mind, I'm going to be doing a daily update of my fic "Saving Mr. Hizuri" again thank you so much to everyone who has supported this fic. I hope that I haven't let you down.

 **Chapter Ninety Four – Ten Years Later**

"Mom! Dad!" Bella yelled as she rushed into the large house, she smiled at one of the maids and took off her cute designer sandals, dropping them by the door as she closed it. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and she wore cute and yet somewhat formal designer clothes. She was taller than her mother but not as tall as her father and she had modeled before. Acting wasn't something that excited her too much, it wasn't something that she or either of her two brothers wanted to get into.

Holding the papers in her hands, she saw Kazuo reading a book on the staircase and smiled at the ten-year-old. "I bet you don't know what I have," she said as she pressed the document to her chest with such a happy expression over her face.

"I'm predicting that you're holding the results from your entrance exam test," Kazuo said as he looked ahead of him, tucking a lucky bookmark into the novel that he was reading. He rolled his eyes as she looked at him. "You told Dad this morning that they were coming out."

Kazuo had had his powers develop at around three years old. He had healing powers. It should have been obvious really what his hidden powers would be. Kyoko had used her powers to heal Kuon and that was the one power Kazuo had. It was what motivated him to one day become a famous surgeon.

He usually wore black and looked like a miniature Tsuruga Ren with Hiroyuki looking like a miniature Hizuri Kuon. Kazuo was still pale but he didn't look abnormal and he had soft blonde hair. They both had featured from their mother but they looked like a mini Ren and a mini Kuon.

"Okay, but where are they?" Bella asked as she let her hand roam over Marie's fur as the older cat purred happily.

"Making ice cream," Kuon said as he exited the kitchen with Yuki behind him and a large bowl of ice cream in his arms. "It's delicious," he said not knowing that he had some of the chocolate ice cream on his face. Kuon was now in his forties and he was still at the head of the acting pack whilst also having directed and written a number of scripts and a couple of novels.

Hiroyuki followed his dad with the same kind of love that Bella had whenever she was young. It was an adoration that she carried in her heart even now. "Try it, Bella" Hiro grinned and then Kuon saw the letter in her hands and that it was unopened. He looked at her before smiling happily.

"You got in?" he asked before putting the bowl down and cleaning his hand before she ran into her daddy's arms and he held her close. "Oh my god, Bella. I knew you could do it, you're so incredible, I never doubted that you could do it. I'm so proud of you," he said and Bella let her head rest against his chest feeling all the love from her precious father.

"You got in?" Kyoko asked again as she flew down the stairs.

"Yes, soon I will be going to Tokyo University where I will study to be a psychiatrist," Bella said happily, her entire face lighting up with how wonderful this news was to her.

"I'm so proud of you, you're going to inspire so many people to follow their dreams," Kuon said as he took the letter from her and looked down at the words. Isabella however had turned to look at her father with a smile and tears in her eyes. She tried to brush them away.

"I am just following my personal hero. He always did his best no matter what and he never really gave up on wanting my dreams to come true," she bowed her head as the tears ran down her cheeks. "Dad, you are—" she said before choking, "from the time I was born…I…I don't think I could have achieved any of this if it wasn't for the strong man that raised me and then after Mom came back, the strong parents which raised me." Bella dropped into a bow reminiscent of Kyoko's when she was this age, "Daddy," she said as Kuon looked at her stunned. "Thank you. You are, have always been, and will always be my greatest hero."

Kuon paused as he looked at her, not really expecting to hear that and he wrapped her up in his arms as Kazuo and Hiroyuki ran to Kyoko.

"Are you happy now?" Kyoko asked softly as she placed a hand on Kuon's back.

"Yes, I'm happy that my family is here. That we have our life together," he told her and looked back at her as they both enjoyed this family moment. "How about you, princess?" he asked and Kyoko grinned happily.

"I think, Kuon, that I am finally….awake."

 **THE END**

 **Thank you so much everyone who has read this fic and supported me, I couldn't have done it without you – Fay**

 **To Chapter Ninety Three Reviews:**

Guest: I agree with you, there could have been more emotion in it but it was getting emotional for me and I didn't read through it and edit it like that. Hope not too much was lost from the reading side 😊 I'm glad that you have enjoyed this fic and I hope this final chapter hasn't let you down.

Guineapigs1: It's okay, I'm glad that you've been reading and enjoying the chapters and I agree with you about the Kuon-Kyoko relationship, I mean, of course I do.

KrisXD: I hope you're not too sad. Glad you liked the chapter.

 **Thank you to those who have favorited and/or followed this fic during its Ninety Four Chapter Run**

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 **Finally, My Ongoing Skip Beat Fics in One Sentence:**

Alive – This fic but if Kuon was the one who was brought back and by some mystical tribe.

Family History – Kuon and Kyoko's son travels back in time to stop a tragedy that has claimed their future lives.

If Love Was A Memory – After being abducted and raped Kyoko only has memories up to fifteen year self and now she has a husband and daughter too.

It's Just Like Magic – Kuon and Kyoko are in a relationship and are in America right now.

Kuon – Kuon survived a plane crash and now has multiple personalities.

Life by Gang Rules – Kyoko's sleazy father is a gang leader who tries to manipulate her by making Kuon a cat.

Loyalty – Kuon is a dog because of weird people with weird powers.

More Like a Phoenix – Gang. Fire. Kuon's disfigurement. Kyoko's love for him. Repeat the cycle.

My Sensei – First person POV of Kyoko trying to pretend to be Kuon's student after he gives his youth to save her life

Q and A – The president traps Kyoko into questioning Kuon for a magazine during which he reveals his past with flashbacks.

Saving Mr. Hizuri – Kyoko is tasked with helping a dying man finish his list of things to do, surprise it's Kuon.

So Lucky to Have You – Kyoko is pregnant and Kuon is happy but Lory wants to test whether they are ready.

The Cold Body of the Law – Kuon dies protecting Kyoko only to become a lawyer in a totally different body.

The Hizuri's Black Sheep – Kuon and Kyoko's kid has schizophrenia

The Lake in the Park – Kyoko and Kuon are starring opposite each other in the biggest drama in Japan.

The Little Prince – What if Kuon had injured himself when he was ten and wasn't able to go back to the US right away?

The Voice – Kuon sings under another identity (needs to be rewritten)

Those Good Old Days – Kuon has a disease where he will rapidly age, good thing he's gone to his parents to take care of it.

Time of Darkness – Kyoko has magical powers, kills Kuon, now Kuon is back with magical powers

Young at Heart – Kuon gives his youth to save Kyoko and their daughter.


End file.
